The coming month will be crucial for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as his agenda expands rapidly. He needs to repair relations with the United States, ensure the Israeli Defense Forces are aligned on the next steps in the Gaza conflict, explore potential hostage negotiations, and prevent an escalation of conflict with Iranian proxies on the northern front.
Starting in Washington, D.C., President Joe Biden and his administration have voiced their displeasure with a video released by the Prime Minister this week. The video alleges that the United States is withholding crucial weapons necessary for Israel’s victory in the conflict with Hamas. Additionally, they quickly responded, indicating they did not understand his remarks while highlighting the numerous occasions they have met Israel’s needs.
Despite some misunderstandings, the relationship between Israel and the United States remains strong, with several issues still to be addressed. The United States is exerting pressure on Iran to withdraw their proxies and cease attacks on the northern border. Concurrently, efforts are ongoing to secure a hostage release deal, while negotiations with Saudi Arabia persist, potentially contingent on a peace agreement with Israel. There is much work ahead.
Taking an interesting view on what the United States should do next is Richard Haass, President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations and a renowned expert on foreign policy and global affairs, has known Netanyahu for nearly thirty years. Haass, who is Jewish, has made several trips to Israel, both for personal reasons and in his official capacity as a representative of the United States.
In fact, their acquaintance began in the late 1980s. Haass served under George H.W. Bush at the State Department from 1981 to 1985. Between 1989 and 1993, he was a special assistant to President Bush and served as the National Security Council’s senior director for Near East (including Israel) and South Asian Affairs. Haass received the Presidential Citizens Medal in 1991 for his contributions to formulating and communicating U.S. policy during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.
Earlier this year he Haass advocated for President Joe Biden to separate himself from Netanyahu. Haass proposed that Biden deliver a speech directly to the Israeli people, possibly in the Knesset (the nation’s parliament), to lay out his vision regarding the Israel-Hamas war.
Senior officials in the Biden administration have responded with reserve to the proposal, keen on not appearing to interfere in Israel’s government affairs. Concurrently, Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Washington to address a joint session of Congress.
In his most recent Substack column, Haass paints a grim short-term outlook for both Israel and Gaza, anticipating an escalating death toll involving the IDF and Gaza’s citizens. He also foresees increasing international condemnation for Israel as casualties in Gaza rise.
This excerpt from the column offers President Biden advice on handling interactions with Netanyahu, as well as some tips on how to move forward.
One final item. It is impossible to write about the Middle East this week without noting the Israeli Prime Minister’s totally unwarranted, gratuitous swipe at President Biden on Wednesday. He publicly criticized Biden for withholding arms and ammunition, channeling Churchill and suggesting that with them, Israel could finish the job against Hamas.
This is chutzpah on stilts. It is a false accusation, as the United States, with Biden’s blessing, has given Israel everything it wanted (at a rate of $3.8 billion a year) except for some 2,000-pound bombs that never should have been used in Gaza in the first place given their potential to cause civilian casualties. What Bibi is doing is laying the blame for his inability to eliminate Hamas on Biden when even his own military acknowledges it is a result of Netanyahu’s failure to introduce a political component into Israel’s strategy. Five months out from the U.S. election, he is also effectively endorsing Trump.
As a result, Biden now is in the worst of all places: He has alienated the left, younger Americans, and Arab- and Muslim-Americans on account of all he has done to help Israel—and now he will pay a price domestically with the so-called friends of Israel for the one thing he didn’t do. I would argue Biden is making a mistake letting only his spokesperson deal with this. I also wouldn’t call off meetings meant to deal with all too real threats posed by Iran. What he should do is publicly call out Bibi, reminding him of all the US has done for Israel, explaining why the U.S. held back one shipment, and telling Bibi that he owes Americans a big thank you and an apology for playing politics with this relationship that remains critical to Israel’s security. Biden needs to show he is tough enough to deal with someone trying to bully him, especially as that someone might well remain in office for some time to come.
Despite suggestions to the contrary, it is highly unlikely that President Biden, who is reportedly very angry behind closed doors, would publicly call out the prime minister and engage in a blame game. The focus at the White House is solely on securing Hamas’ agreement to a ceasefire deal to end the hostage situation.
Important Meeting In DC Thursday Plotting out next steps
On Thursday in Washington, leading Israeli figures, including Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, held a series of discussions with Biden administration officials. The meetings with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and White House Middle East Affairs Coordinator Brett McGurk covered a wide range of issues, as reported by the State Department and various media outlets. Topics included the conditions along Israel’s northern frontier, Iran, and ongoing ceasefire and hostage negotiations.
As cross-border attacks by Hezbollah have escalated in recent weeks, the United States is seeking to prevent the possibility of another full-scale conflict in the Middle East. Following a meeting with Israeli leaders in Washington on Thursday, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby addressed the media in a press briefing.
Kirby recounted the US forces’ defense of Israel in April during Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile assault on Jerusalem. He reassured the Israeli delegation that President Biden had warned Iran against escalating the Israel-Hamas conflict, threatening severe consequences.
“There’s no other country that’s done more, or will continue to do more, than the United States to help Israel defend itself,” Kirby said. Netanyahu’s words were upsetting, he said, “Given the amount of support that we have, and will continue to provide.”
Numerous media reports have confirmed that United States officials clarified this week that the Biden administration is prepared to provide Israel with the necessary security assistance. Kirby informed the group in person that the United States would renew its full support for Israel on the condition that American troops would not be deployed on the ground in such circumstances.
For Netanyahu, it is time to demonstrate statesmanship and ensure that when he engages with the United States, they are held accountable if they fail to honor their part of the agreement, with prior notification. In this instance, the prime minister has criticized the United States without providing specific examples. I concur with Haass that Netanyahu must become a genuine ally, even if it means confronting the ultra-conservative faction of his government.
It is likely that Netanyahu shares the common desire for the hostages’ return, for Hamas to be sufficiently weakened to prevent future conflicts, and ultimately, to achieve peace. The challenge for the Prime Minister is to accomplish these goals collaboratively rather than single-handedly. Nevertheless, as a political survivor, Netanyahu is expected to navigate a path to work with allies for the benefit of Israel and the United States.
By the way I strongly recommend reading Haass’ complete Substack column to fully understand his perspective on the region.