US President Joe Biden is trying to thread the eye of the needle, by putting some daylight between himself and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, says Carl Skadian, senior associate director at the Middle East Institute, NUS.
US President Joe Biden meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Oct 18, 2023 in Tel Aviv to discuss the Israel-Hamas war. SINGAPORE: Was the American abstention on the United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza part of the tough conversation that President Joe Biden promised to have with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu?
A crucial distinction must be made here: Mr Biden is still a very staunch supporter of Israel. What he is doing, instead, is trying to thread the eye of the needle, by putting some daylight between himself and Mr Netanyahu. The US is not the only country attempting this high-wire act.
This added to tensions already brewing from Mr Biden’s hot mic comment after his State of the Union address on Mar 7, in which he was heard saying that he and Mr Netanyahu needed to have a “come to Jesus” meeting about the war in Gaza. Despite pressure from around the world, Mr Netanyahu has stuck to his guns and insisted that he will go ahead with the incursion into the southern Gazan city, where more than a million Palestinians have sought refuge.In effect, both Mr Biden and the Israeli leader are playing to their domestic constituencies.
But the crunch is coming. The planned offensive in Rafah will likely be the flashpoint. The US has been clear that current plans for the incursion are a no go, and Mr Biden has several options available to him to get tough with Mr Netanyahu.
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