President Biden and other senior U.S. officials are becoming increasingly frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rejection of most of the administration’s recent requests related to the war in Gaza, four U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the issue told Axios.
Why it matters: Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack 100 days ago, Biden has given Israel his full backing, with unprecedented military and diplomatic support, even while taking a political hit from part of his base in an election year. That support has largely continued publicly, but behind the scenes, there are growing signs that Biden is losing his patience, the U.S. officials said.
- “The situation sucks and we are stuck. The president’s patience is running out,” one U.S. official told Axios.
- “At every juncture, Netanyahu has given Biden the finger,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who has been in close contact with U.S. officials about the war, told Axios. “They are pleading with the Netanyahu coalition, but getting slapped in the face over and over again.”
Behind the scenes: Biden hasn’t spoken to Netanyahu in the 20 days since a tense Dec. 23 call, which a frustrated Biden ended with the words: “This conversation is over.” They had spoken almost every other day in the first two months of the war.
- Before Biden hung up, Netanyahu had rejected his request that Israel release the Palestinian tax revenues it’s withholding.
- National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby tried to downplay the decrease in communication, telling reporters on Wednesday that “it doesn’t say anything” about the state of the relationship.
- But more and more signs of irritation are emerging. “There is immense frustration,” a U.S. official said.
Unemployment level is meaningless if there’s no livable wage. Taking 1 full time job and creating 2 part-time is not job growth, and that’s exactly what’s been happening. How many of those shitty no benefit jobs are being held by one person?
You tell me. You’re clearly the expert here.
Its also at a record high
You didn’t tell me.
The banks and the rich are squeezing every dime they can out of American working class, but the probable GOP nominee is the absolute wrong way to curb it.
Remember for example when he stole medical supplies and gave them to his criminal friends, who could then resell them for a higher price? During a pandemic…
Medical supplies are your red line, not genocide?
What a great straw man! Thankfully it isn’t Biden himself pulling the trigger, nonetheless any GOP candidate is simply not an option.
So if Biden is in the clear for not pulling the trigger, Trump should be in the clear for insurrection for not actually storming the capital right?
He instigated the attack, Biden did not have anything to do with the counterattack on Gaza. These are inherently different things
Biden, multiple times, perpetrated the Zionist lie of beheaded babies, bypassed Congress to get them more weapons, and refused to cut money. He is complicit
I agree, that he is. I think it’s more complicated in terms of global security idk though
It has nothing to do with global security, and everything to do with US power in the region