Biden Finally Talks to Netanyahu Again. It Doesn't Go Well
Jazz Shaw 5:30 PM on January 20, 2024
Yesterday, Joe Biden had a phone call with Bibi Netanyahu. In more normal times, such a call between the leaders of closely allied nations would be nothing unusual, particularly when one of them is in the midst of a brutal war against a terrorist regime. But believe it or not, despite all of the visits to Israel by Tony Blinken and others, it had been four weeks since Biden and Netanyahu had spoken directly. We don’t have a transcript of the call, but based on the reporting of the Associated Press, there is a lot more “strain” in the relationship at the moment so it wasn’t all sunshine and roses.
President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally spoke Friday after a glaring, nearly four-week gap in direct communication during which fundamental differences have come into focus over a possible pathway to Palestinian statehood once the fighting in Gaza ends.
Biden and his top aides have all but smothered Netanyahu with robust support, even in the face of global condemnation over the mounting civilian death toll and humanitarian suffering in Gaza as the Israelis have carried out military operations in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
But the leaders’ relationship has increasingly shown signs of strain as Netanyahu has repeatedly rebuffed Biden’s calls for Palestinian sovereignty, gumming up what the U.S. president believes is the key to unlocking a durable peace in the Middle East — the oft-cited, elusive two-state solution.
At least for the moment, Joe Biden continues to support Israel publicly in their war against Hamas, though he has been urging more “restraint” in terms of minimizing Palestinian casualties and ensuring a steady flow of aid into Gaza. But now the disagreement between the two leaders is reportedly centered not on the war itself, but what comes after. Joe Biden has jumped on the bandwagon of people calling for an independent Palestinian state.
more
https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2024/01/20/biden-finally-talks-to-netanyahu-again-it-doesnt-go-well-n606261