Biden threatens Netanyahu with “Support Umbrella”: Has the President lost patience?
The recent escalation in the Middle East appears to have widened the gap between U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a “tough” call, President Joe Biden secretly demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu de-escalate tensions in the region and move immediately towards a hostage deal and ceasefire in Gaza, according to two U.S. officials who spoke to “Axios.”
According to the American website, Biden and his top aides are extremely frustrated by the repercussions of the Israeli assassinations in Beirut and Tehran, which occurred less than a week after Netanyahu‘s first visit to the Oval Office in four years.
The American administration feels that Netanyahu kept Biden “in the dark” about his plans to carry out the assassinations, despite giving the impression last week that he was interested in Biden‘s request to focus on reaching an agreement in Gaza.
The Biden administration had placed the hostage deal and ceasefire between Israel and Hamas at the center of its post-war strategy in the Middle East.
Biden is personally involved in the efforts to reach an agreement, viewing it as a key element of his legacy during the remaining six months of his term, according to “Axios.”
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American officials told “Axios” that Biden called Netanyahu to discuss joint U.S.-Israeli military preparations to respond to retaliatory actions by Iran and Hezbollah, but also to make clear that he was unhappy with the direction Netanyahu took last week.
One of the American officials said that Biden complained to Netanyahu that they had just talked last week in the Oval Office about securing a hostage deal, but instead, Netanyahu went ahead with the assassination in Tehran.
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Biden then told Netanyahu during the call that the United States would help Israel defend against an Iranian attack, but he did not expect further escalation from the Israeli side and also expected immediate progress towards a hostage deal, according to the American official.
The American official added, “Biden also warned Netanyahu that if he escalated again, he should not rely on the United States to bail him out.”
The office of the Israeli Prime Minister said in a statement: “Prime Minister Netanyahu told President Biden that he appreciates the American support, and as the Prime Minister of Israel, he acts solely according to the security needs of the State of Israel.”
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Situation Background
At the end of the meeting with Netanyahu in the Oval Office last Thursday, Biden became emotional, raised his voice, and told Netanyahu that he needed to reach an agreement in Gaza as soon as possible, according to three Israeli officials aware of the meeting who spoke to “Axios.”
A senior Israeli official said, “Biden raised his voice and said he wanted an agreement within a week or two,” adding, “Biden told Netanyahu that the hostage deal and ceasefire were the most important things right now.”
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Shortly after the meeting, when the president and the Israeli prime minister met with the families of American hostages held in Gaza, Biden reiterated his message to Netanyahu in the same regard.
