The gap between the American president and his Israeli counterpart seems to be widening a little more every day. Joe Biden, who has supported Tel Aviv almost unconditionally since the unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7, is increasingly distancing himself from Benjamin Netanyahu. The two heads of state last spoke to each other on February 15. Since then, Joe Biden has continued to raise his voice towards his counterpart regarding humanitarian aid or a possible ceasefire…
This development can also be explained by a national context: a few months before the American elections, scheduled for November 2024, his firmness towards Netanyahu could win him a few votes, while his support for the policy pursued by Israel is increasingly criticized.
An electoral calculation which should not affect the billions of dollars in American military aid to Israel – a new envelope of 14 billion (including 10.6 in arms) is under examination in Congress. It seems that Joe Biden is struggling to find a balance between his support for Israel and his hostility towards Benjamin Netanyahu. A look back at their latest battles.
Act I: Biden denounces “indiscriminate bombings”
Tuesday, December 12, 2023. Joe Biden displays his differences with the Israeli executive for the first time, declaring that it is “the most conservative government in the history of Israel.” The one who is seeking a second term affirms that, unlike Washington, the Israeli government “does not (want) a two-state solution” with the Palestinians, and asks Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “change” his government.
Two days later, the American president publicly denounced the “indiscriminate bombings” carried out in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli army. An expression that had never been used until now, proof of the erosion of international support initially granted to the Jewish state. “We don’t need the Americans to understand that we want to limit civilian losses,” replied a senior Israeli officer during a discussion with several journalists, including one from AFP.
Act II: Biden criticizes Israel’s “excessive” response
Thursday February 8, 2024, Joe Biden goes further. During an exchange with journalists at the White House, he judges Israel’s response to Gaza “excessive”. The head of state warned the same day of a “disaster” in Rafah. Tuesday March 5, Joe Biden reiterates his call for a “ceasefire” in Gaza before the start of Ramadan, while maintaining pressure on Israel to bring more humanitarian aid into the enclave threatened with famine. He warns: the situation could become “very dangerous” in Israel and particularly in Jerusalem if hostilities continue during the holy month of Islam.
Act III: Humanitarian aid is not “a bargaining chip”
Three days later, Joe Biden asked his ally to deliver more humanitarian aid. For him, the latter “cannot be a secondary consideration nor a bargaining chip”. Separately, the president is caught saying he would have a frank discussion with the Israeli prime minister about the war in Gaza. “I told him, Bibi, you’re going to have to get it into your head,” said Joe Biden during an aside with a senator and Antony Blinken, using the nickname of the Israeli Prime Minister. Realizing that a microphone was capturing this informal exchange, the American president, far from appearing upset, said: “That’s good.”
Another sign of distancing: at the same time, Benny Gantz, member of the Israeli war cabinet, was invited to Washington. The centrist, great rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, did not meet Joe Biden but he saw his national security adviser on March 5, Jake Sullivan, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris. The latter expressed her “deep concern” about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Act IV: Netanyahu “does more harm than good to Israel”
The tension rises another notch on Saturday March 9. The American president says that Benjamin Netanyahu is “doing more harm than good to Israel” through his conduct of the war in Gaza. The tenant of the White House also makes ambiguous remarks on the question of a “red line” that the Americans would set. “He has the right to defend Israel, the right to continue to attack Hamas. But he must pay more attention to the innocent lives lost because of the actions taken,” demands Joe Biden in an interview with the MSNBC channeladding: “In my opinion, he is doing more harm than good to Israel.”
Without delay, Benjamin Netanyahu reacted to the American criticism. He responds that his counterpart is “wrong”, in an interview given the next day to the newspaper Politico. “I don’t know exactly what the president meant, but if he meant that I am pursuing a personal policy against the wishes of the majority of Israelis, and that I am going against the interests of Israel, then he is wrong on both points,” retorts the Israeli Prime Minister. At the same time, he reaffirmed his determination to attack the overpopulated city of Rafah against the advice of the United States.
Act V: A senator charges Netanyahu, Biden praises his “remarkable speech”
Joe Biden welcomes, Friday March 15, the “good speech” delivered the day before by the leader of the Democratic senators, Chuck Schumer, who was very critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “He gave a good speech and I think he expressed important concerns, which are not only his but which are shared by many Americans,” applauds the president about this intervention by Chuck Schumer, Jewish personality the highest-ranking member of the American legislative branch.
The senator had estimated the day before that “new elections were the only way to allow a healthy decision-making process to take place” on the future of the country, judging that “Prime Minister Netanyahu (has) lost his way, leaving his political survival comes before Israel’s best interests. A way for the American president to say that he would not be against a change of interlocutor.