"In private," David E. Sanger wrote Tuesday in The New York Times, "many members of Mr. Biden's national security team make little effort these days to hide their exasperation with [Netanyahu]. They talk more openly now about the president's shouting matches in phone calls with Mr. Netanyahu, or Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken's frustrating visits to Jerusalem in which he got private assurances from the prime minister, only to watch Mr. Netanyahu contradict them hours later...
"They now wonder aloud whether the prime minister kept throwing new conditions into cease-fire negotiations in hopes of keeping his fragile coalition together, or to stay in office and out of court."
Oh, now they "wonder"? What a great political awakening. It took America long enough. The Biden administration's dealings with, understanding of and approach to Netanyahu is arguably the flattest learning curve in the history of international relations. How could a group of experienced people who deciphered Vladimir Putin so accurately in 2022 have been so profoundly wrong, gullible and open to manipulation by Netanyahu – not exactly a new protagonist in this equation – in 2023-2024?
Obviously, there are explanations and extenuating political explanations. And sure, Biden was deeply devastated by the savage October 7 attack. But it has been almost a full year since. Only now is America exasperated? Forty-three days before the U.S. election, when there's virtually nothing the administration can effectively do about it?
Where was the "exasperation" when Netanyahu refused to engage the United States – not agree, not automatically accept, just respectfully engage – in talks about a postwar, post-Hamas Gaza? Where was the exasperation when he unleashed his sycophantic ministers, who vociferously and vulgarly attacked Biden for "undermining Israel," all after he had rushed two aircraft carrier strike forces to the Middle East and asked Congress for $14.3 billion in aid?
Where was this exasperation when he blamed Biden for trying to superimpose a Palestinian state on Israel – a demagogic and bogus statement?
Where was the political pressure when Netanyahu refused to accept the U.S.' idea that Gaza and Lebanon are linked in terms of "de-escalation," knowing that by refusing to do so he was flirting with escalation – the paramount interest the Americans had in preventing?
Enter Lebanon. The United States is now caught in a policy conundrum. Israel had every right to launch a broad, diverse and deep attack on Hezbollah. The Americans acknowledge that. Israel was put in an untenable and intolerable situation once Hezbollah began launching rockets, drones and missiles into Israel from October 8. What began as trickling fire as a show of support for Hamas transpired into a war zone, with over 60,000 Israelis displaced along the northern border. Now it has become an almost full-fledged war.
But from an American perspective, justifying Israel's actions – and even inventing a unique oxymoron for it: "escalating to de-escalate" – is contrary to its one clear goal: preventing a regional conflagration.
Ironically, the U.S.' best bet to de-escalate is not Netanyahu, and certainly not Hezbollah, but Iran. It is doubtful anyone in Washington saw this coming a year ago.”
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America's Exasperation With Netanyahu Came Too Late - U.S. News - haaretz.com
Sep 24, 2024 10:10 pm IDT
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