Officials in Biden admin worked to undermine Netanyahu after ceasefire talks collapsed, former aide says
Context:
Following the collapse of ceasefire talks in the Israel-Hamas conflict, Biden administration officials considered a strategy to undermine Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hoping to trigger elections for a more cooperative leader, although President Biden ultimately rejected this approach. The tense relationship between Biden and Netanyahu was marked by distrust, with Biden suspecting Netanyahu of political maneuvering and Netanyahu questioning Biden's commitment to Israel. This friction was exacerbated by disagreements over judicial reforms in Israel and U.S. plans for Gaza's future. Additionally, Biden's administration faced challenges in Middle East diplomacy, with significant opportunities for normalization with Saudi Arabia being missed. Despite the public animosity, Arab nations discreetly supported Israel's efforts against Hamas, highlighting the complex geopolitical landscape.
Dive Deeper:
Biden administration officials, after the collapse of a ceasefire with Hamas, contemplated undermining Netanyahu by prompting Israeli elections to favor a more agreeable leader, but this idea was eventually dismissed by President Biden.
Biden and Netanyahu's relationship was fraught with tension, rooted in Biden's mistrust of Netanyahu's political tactics and Netanyahu's skepticism of Biden's dedication to Israel, leading to strained diplomatic engagements.
Discontent over Netanyahu's push for judicial reforms fueled public unrest in Israel, with Biden advising Netanyahu to pursue a more consensus-driven approach, further straining U.S.-Israeli relations.
The rejection of U.S. plans for Gaza by Netanyahu after Biden's historic wartime visit to Israel exacerbated tensions, as Biden suspected Netanyahu of aiding Trump's political interests.
Hostage negotiations with Hamas were stalled for months, with conflicting views on whether Netanyahu imposed additional conditions, while Arab leaders privately expressed support for Israel's actions against Hamas.
Amidst growing tensions with Netanyahu, opportunities for advancing normalization with Saudi Arabia were missed, as political dynamics and hesitations from both Biden and Trump administrations played a role.
The complex interactions between the U.S. and Israel during this period were marked by both public discord and private alignments with other regional powers, reflecting the intricate geopolitical challenges faced by the Biden administration.