As Handing of War Pushes U.S. Away, Netanyahu’s Half-Steps May Not Be Enough to Fix Ties

Ahnaf Kalam

After the relationship between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to reach a new low last week, signs have emerged that both sides want to patch things up, at least for the time being.

After taking on Biden’s criticism directly for weeks, Netanyahu dramatically canceled a visit — requested by Biden — of his top aides to Washington to discuss American ideas for an alternative to a major ground operation in Rafah and for an increase in humanitarian aid to Gazan civilians.

The move was a very public protest of the Biden administration’s decision to forgo the use of its UN Security Council veto and allow the adoption of a resolution calling for an immediate Gaza ceasefire unconditioned on a hostage release, which it also called for.

Read the full article at the Times of Israel.

Lazar Berman is the Times of Israel‘s diplomatic reporter and a Milstein Writing Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

Lazar Berman is the Diplomatic Correspondent at yhe Times of Israel, where he also covers Christian Affairs. He holds an M.A. in Security Studies from Georgetown University and taught at Salahuddin University in Iraqi Kurdistan. Berman is a reserve captain in the IDF’s Commando Brigade and served in a Bedouin unit during his active service.
See more from this Author
After Decades of a Defensive Deterrence and Containment Strategy, Post-October 7 Israel Shifted to the Strategic Offensive Against the Iranian Alliance
The Idea of the Current Operation Is Certainly Not to Defeat Hezbollah, nor Is It Designed to Engage and Kill Its Fighters
The Bulk of Hezbollah’s Capabilities Remains Intact, and Maneuvering IDF Troops Will Face Anti-tank Missiles, Mines, and Drones — Not to Mention Tunnels
See more on this Topic
I recently witnessed something I haven’t seen in a long time. On Friday, August 16, 2024, a group of pro-Hamas activists packed up their signs and went home in the face of spirited and non-violent opposition from a coalition of pro-American Iranians and American Jews. The last time I saw anything like that happen was in 2006 or 2007, when I led a crowd of Israel supporters in chants in order to silence a heckler standing on the sidewalk near the town common in Amherst, Massachusetts. The ridicule was enough to prompt him and his fellow anti-Israel activists to walk away, as we cheered their departure. It was glorious.