Joe Biden is growing frustrated with Israel.
Anonymous sources speak to US media as the president faces widespread criticism over his support for Israel's war in Gaza.
But as Israel moves forward with its military operations, Biden is nearing a “break” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Washington Post reported on Sunday. And he has expressed increasing anger at the far-right Israeli leader, even calling him a son of a bitch several times in recent days, NBC News reported Monday morning.
But despite Biden's alleged dissatisfaction, analysts believe that if he shows no desire to pressure Israel to end its deadly military offensive in Gaza, , says that what the president of the United States says behind closed doors means little.
“Israel's war should cause frustration and anger for anyone with even a modicum of conscience. But for Biden, calling for a ceasefire is absolutely necessary to save Palestinian lives. have not yet been forced to do so,” said Imad Harb, director of research and analysis at the Arab Center in Washington, DC.
“Unfortunately, even though the United States has many pressure tools available to change Israeli policy and behavior, it is Israel that is in the driver's seat,” he told Al Jazeera in an email. .
Israel's deadly attack on Rafah
Reports of Biden's growing dissatisfaction with Netanyahu come as the United Nations and human rights groups are on high alert over an expected Israeli ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Israel shelled the densely populated city early Monday morning, killing at least 67 Palestinians, including children.
Rafah, previously designated a “safe zone” by Israel, is now home to more than 1.4 million people, many internally displaced from other parts of Gaza and sleeping in tents.
The attack, which Israel said was part of an operation to free two Israeli prisoners, came less than 24 hours after Biden met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about plans to attack Rafah.
According to a White House reading of Sunday's meeting, Biden told Israeli leaders “a credible and workable plan to ensure the safety and support of the more than 1 million people who are displaced.” Without it, Israel's military operations should not proceed.
📍#Gaza Rafah is one of the most densely populated places on earth. The family was evacuated multiple times.
Panic and despair is spreading as 1.4 million people struggle to survive and access food and water. At the same time, their lives are at risk due to ongoing military operations. pic.twitter.com/BjXeEiAjLz
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) February 12, 2024
Tariq Kenny Shawa, a U.S. policy fellow at the Palestinian think tank al-Shabaka, said the phone call between Mr. Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu was “a green light” for the deadly nighttime bombing.
“Biden's harsh words against Netanyahu, if they are true, are just words. At the end of the day, only policy matters, and Biden's policies have supported Israel unconditionally every step of the way. ” Kenny Shawa told Al Jazeera.
Iman Abid Thompson, director of advocacy and organizing for the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, said Biden and his administration have been “cowardly” because most of their criticism has been voiced behind the scenes.
Such criticisms “should be said up front. They should be said loudly. They should be understood by the public and seen in formal statements.”
Abid Thompson told Al Jazeera that Israel is encouraged by the lack of pressure from the United States, which provides the Israeli government with at least $3.8 billion in military aid annually. He rejected the idea that the United States might not be able to restrain Israeli military action.
“I think the idea of, 'What can we do?' is important to me. It's a complete joke,” she said. “There's a lot to be said about the lack of U.S. accountability for what's happening to the Palestinians, especially the Israeli government.”
Referring to Israel's military operations, he added: “We know that it has only been supported and strengthened by the funds that the United States has provided to Israel unconditionally.”
How to apply pressure
Asked Monday whether the Biden administration would consider cutting aid to Israel if it presses ahead with its plan in Rafah, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the U.S. government would not be concerned about the impact the U.S. “We have pursued policies that we believe will give us the greatest ability to succeed in influencing and influencing the future of the United States.” Israel is conducting a military operation. ”
Miller told reporters that “in many cases” the administration is dissatisfied with the results. But he said the US had not assessed whether aid cuts would have a “greater impact than the steps we have already taken.”
“I think sometimes people act like we have a magic wand in America that we can wave and make any situation in the world unfold the way we want it to, but that never happens. No,” Miller said. He also said this at a press conference.
“We are using the tools available to us to influence policy.”
At a subsequent press conference, White House press secretary John Kirby echoed Miller's position. Asked if Biden had ever threatened to strip U.S. military aid ahead of the expected Rafah attack, he responded with a general statement in support of Israel.
“We will continue to support Israel,” Kirby said. “They have the right to protect themselves from Hamas, and we will continue to ensure they have the means and capabilities to do so.”
But experts say the United States can put pressure on Israel simply by following its own laws. This includes the so-called Leahy Act, which prohibits the U.S. government from providing military aid to foreign countries that commit human rights abuses.
“Biden's reported complaints are meaningless unless they are translated into concrete and visible pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Israeli government as a whole,” Kenny Shawa said. But it added that Washington instead “took every step to minimize the costs of an Israeli attack.”
'Moment of truth'
Since the start of the Gaza war, the Biden administration has approved arms transfers to Israel despite allegations of war crimes and concerns about the risk of genocide in the Palestinian territories.
It also supported legislation that would provide more than $14 billion in additional U.S. security assistance to the country, rejected calls for a long-term ceasefire in Gaza, and blocked U.N. attempts to end the war.
Raed Jalal, advocacy director at the Arab World Now Democracy think tank in Washington, D.C., said the administration had “miserably failed to manage its relationship” with Netanyahu.
But Jarrah told Al Jazeera that decisive action would be taken to prevent what he described as the “next chapter of genocide” in Gaza, an expected Israeli military offensive in Rafah. , said Washington could “redeem itself.”
“This week is going to be a real moment of truth. If Prime Minister Netanyahu doesn't listen to them and presses ahead with the attack on Rafah, what are they going to do? What are they going to do?” he asked. Ta.
“Are they going to continue with the same failed policies, or are they going to switch to the only option they should have considered all along, which is not to join forces with genocidal fanatics?”