Biden growing impatient with Netanyahu 100 days into war on Gaza
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Reports have surfaced that Biden and Netanyahu have not had any contact since their last call on December 23, with some reporting it ended with a frustrated Biden saying, "This conversation is over."
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US President Joe Biden listens as he meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York on September 20, 2023. (AP)
Sources with direct knowledge divulged to Axios that US President Joe Biden and other US officials are growing more and more impatient with Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to grant the majority of the administration's recent requests on the Gaza war.
For 100 days, the Israeli occupation has been deliberately wiping out residential neighborhoods, aiming to extinguish life in the region, with thousands killed and thousands of others still stuck lifeless under the rubble.
100 days of Israeli aggression on #Gaza.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) January 14, 2024
Picture enduring endless bombings, relentless hunger, and endless homelessness for a staggering 100 days.
For a full 100 days, the people of Gaza have grappled with hunger and thirst. For 100 days, the people of Gaza have been waking up… pic.twitter.com/tILgDK3o9s
One official told Axios that the "situation sucks", adding that the "President's patience is running out."
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) expressed that Netanyahu has on numerous occasions "given Biden the finger," emphasizing that the Netanyahu administration has "slapped" the US in the face repeatedly.
Reports have surfaced that Biden and Netanyahu have not had any contact since their last call on December 23, with some reporting it ended with a frustrated Biden saying, "This conversation is over."
Before Biden hung up, Netanyahu had denied his request that "Israel" release the Palestinian tax funds it was withholding.
A recent Politico report revealed that US officials are growing increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu as they try to contain the damage of the war on Gaza internationally and domestically, and some are beginning to wonder if Netanyahu is even calling the shots.
Aaron David Miller, a former negotiator, called him "desperate" and a "terrible example of a leader who has conflated his own political survival with what he considers to be the best interests of this country. It’s a horrible combination, and it leads to terrible decision-making."
Biden's regular contact with Netanyahu and Blinken's "Israel's" visit along with numerous other US officials is something Nahal Toosi reported that many observers have called "Bibi-sitting".
Disagreements have also surfaced regarding the Israeli outlook for post-war Gaza and recent comments by Ben-Gvir and Smotrich that Palestinians should be forced out of Gaza and be replaced with settlers "inflammatory and irresponsible" by the State Department.
US having trouble maintaining support for war on Gaza
Based on the current situation in Gaza, particularly in the southern city of Khan Younis, US officials are increasingly concerned that "Israel" will fail to fulfill its deadline of transitioning to low-intensity operations by the end of January, meaning that Biden will inevitably find it even more difficult to continue voicing his support for the war.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken's travel to "Israel" last week aggravated discontent within the White House and the State Department, according to US sources who talked with Axios.
Additionally, Axios reported that on his visit to "Israel", Blinken expanded on several goals in the US agenda, including the issue of forced displacement of Palestinians as the occupation war machine deliberately targets and destroys residential areas and compounds, forcing Palestinians out.
A US official stated that Blinken candidly told the Israelis their plan for after the war was a "pie in the sky" and made it clear no "Arab country is going to bail them out," if they did not allow the PA to play a significant role in Gaza.
Blinken and his colleagues realized during their trip that Netanyahu's unwillingness to transfer Palestinian tax income is impeding US attempts to press for reforms in the Palestinian Authority, according to two people familiar with the secretary of state's conversations.
While recognizing it is "far-fetched" to believe Netanyahu will agree to an agreement that would pave the way for a Palestinian state, US officials say they want to give an alternative vision to what many fear will be an ongoing battle in Gaza.
Sen. Van Hollen told Axios that Netanyahu is "more willing to listen" to the far-right members of his government rather than to the US President.
