Netanyahu and his own 'trouble in Paradise' story amid rift with Biden
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Netanyahu is not new to American politics after having been buddy-buddy with four US presidents and the Republican party.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a gathering of Jewish leaders at the Museum of Tolerance on February 18, 2024. (AP)
Mere days after the public feud with Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turns to the last resort and the most powerful force backing "Israel" in the US: the Israeli lobby.
At the "American Israel Public Affairs Committee" (AIPAC) last week, Netanyahu called out Biden for the statements he's made, such as the IOF having killed too many civilians, Netanyahu hurting "Israel" by obstructing a Palestinian state, and the matter that he should allow the Palestinian Authority to run Gaza.
Netanyahu burst out, saying, “You cannot say you support Israel’s right to exist and to defend itself and then oppose Israel when it exercises that right... You cannot say you support Israel’s goal of destroying Hamas and then oppose Israel when it takes the actions necessary.”
Netanyahu is not new to American politics after having been buddy-buddy with four US presidents and the Republican party and taken advantage of the military and diplomatic alliance no one else can do.
According to Rodney Martin, a former US legislative staffer, AIPAC and other pro-"Israel" lobby groups in the United States have successfully choked the US government.
Read next: Biden-Netanyahu rift goes much deeper than Rafah: WP
Martin made the statements in an exclusive interview for PressTV last week while remarking on Washington's stance of sending weaponry to "Israel" in its murderous campaign against Gaza.
Martin detailed how the US "flooding" the occupation with weapons was far from new, noting that AIPAC and other Zionist groups have "successfully placed a chokehold on the United States’ government, primarily historically on the Congress."
He noted the growing dissent within the Democratic Party regarding the war on Gaza and called it a "very positive development."
Martin detailed that the Republican Party was “dominated by rabid, racist Zionists" and expressed his belief that Donald Trump may "put an end" to the current predicament in some way, noting that he has not been happy with the Israeli Prime Minister recently.
'Because I said so'
According to the Financial Times, Netanyahu is risking any US support by "antagonizing" the White House.
He remains reliant on friendly US senators, the pro-"Israel" lobby, and "Israel’s" role in regional geopolitics to have the power to keep the war going and thus keep himself in office.
This, however, is not the first clash between Israeli and US heads. Former US President Ronald Reagan accused former Israeli PM Menachem Begin of a “holocaust” after they bombed Beirut in August 1982. In another instance, George Bush Sr. withheld $10bln in loan guarantees to force Yitzhak Shamir to delay building settlements and engage in the 1991 "peace talks" with Palestinians.
However, none of the previous administrations has been as daring as Netanyahu whose own party loves him even when he defies the White House, just because he can say no to the US.
Martin Indyk, former US ambassador to "Israel", said, “The rift over civilian casualties is a serious problem for US-Israel relations and for Netanyahu’s ability to prosecute his war until ‘total victory’,” adding, “If Netanyahu was worrying about the US-Israel relationship he would never have let things deteriorate to this point.”
Read more: Netanyahu 'bad f*****g guy', Biden says during private talks: Reports
Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert said, “No one in history has insulted the Oval Office the way Netanyahu did,” recalling when Netanyahu broke with former US President Barack Obama over nuclear talks with Iran in 2015.
For Netanyahu, staying in power rests on dodging snap elections and maintaining a majority in the Knesset. He has vowed to stay in power until the regime declares a "total victory" over the Palestinian Resistance.
Yet, pressure continues to mount from two opposing sides: One from opposition leader Benny Gantz and the other from Security Minister Yoav Gallant. Observers believe that if elections were held now, Gantz would easily defeat Netanyahu.
Gantz has not dismissed the possibility of working with the Palestinian Authority for post-war plans. He has also expressed positive responses to the possibility of a two-state solution, a path that has garnered favor among White House officials.
