Biden-Netanyahu rift goes much deeper than Rafah: WP

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Washington Post
14 Mar 2024 16:14

Washington's trust in Netanyahu's government is waning as the administration lacks a clear plan for the aftermath of the war and its end.

President Joe Biden is greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after arriving at Ben Gurion International Airport, Wednesday, October 18, 2023, in "Tel Aviv". (AP)

On Thursday, The Washington Post discussed the public dispute between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concerning military strategy, political leadership, and even casualty figures.

The primary point of contention however, has revolved around Netanyahu's proposal to launch an assault on Rafah, located along Gaza's southern border with Egypt, as outlined by The Washington Post.

In an interview with MSNBC over the weekend, Biden stated that Rafah was a "red line," though the exact implications of this statement remained unclear.

Biden criticizes possible Rafah invasion

According to a White House summary of the conversation, Biden stated last month that "Israel" should refrain from attacking Rafah until it devises a "credible and executable plan" to ensure the safety of over 1 million Palestinian refugees who have sought shelter there due to the war, as reported by The Washington Post, adding that administration officials have indicated that they have yet to witness the presentation of such a plan.

“We’ll go there,” Netanyahu shot back on Sunday, adding, “You know, I have a red line. You know what the red line is? That October 7 doesn’t happen again. Never happens again.” A senior Israeli official underlined that position in an interview on Wednesday. “If the administration says, ‘Never do Rafah,’ that won’t work. … You can’t do 80 percent of the job.”

However, the disagreement over Rafah may not be as significant as it seems, The Washington Post said, and "Israel" has assured the Biden administration that it will develop a meticulous operational strategy, which encompasses the safeguarding of Palestinians and increased humanitarian aid.

A senior Israeli official stressed, “We won’t suddenly invade Rafah. It takes time to prepare a plan." According to The Washington Post, Israeli officials won’t discuss how long this planning might take. But it seems likely to require weeks, and it could even stretch past the end of the holy month of Ramadan in April.

Private disputes made public

According to The Washington Post, a more profound disagreement concerns whether Netanyahu and his right-wing government have rallied the country around a defined endgame for the war. US intelligence analysts expressed open skepticism regarding Netanyahu's leadership prospects in their annual threat assessment presented to Congress this week.

“Distrust of Netanyahu’s ability to rule has deepened and broadened…A different, more moderate government is a possibility,” the threat assessment noted.

As reported by The Washington Post, Netanyahu's team was already displeased with what they perceived as an effort by Vice President Harris to sow division within Israeli politics when she stated on CBS News on Sunday, "It's crucial to differentiate and not confuse the Israeli government with the Israeli people."

The report stresses that longstanding private disputes are now emerging into the public sphere. Administration officials have been considering methods to encourage other Israeli leaders, such as former army chief of staff Benny Gantz, to challenge Netanyahu, who is reportedly deeply unpopular according to polls.

Biden and Netanyahu are not on the same page

The most fundamental disagreement between Netanyahu and Biden revolves around the state of the war itself," stated The Washington Post, noting that Netanyahu suggests victory is imminent, which is why he intends to invade Rafah. However, the US disagrees with "Israel's" assessment, believing it has 'overestimated' the damage inflicted on Gaza and doubting Netanyahu's ability to secure Gaza and stabilize the region.

On the same note, the US intelligence community offered a pointed assessment in Monday’s testimony: “Israel probably will face lingering armed resistance from Hamas for years to come, and the military will struggle to neutralize Hamas’s underground infrastructure.”

The Washington Post reports another reason for Biden's lack of trust in Netanyahu: the absence of a clear plan for "the day after" the war. The White House questions Netanyahu's ability to develop a viable strategy for concluding a war that has inflicted significant damage on "Israel", devastated Palestinian civilians, and is increasingly detrimental to US interests globally.