Explained | Can Joe Biden Convince Netanyahu To 'Pause' The Hamas War?

As the US inches closer to the all-important Presidential polls, there have been voices that have pointed out that 'frustration' is being expressed by President Joe Biden over his inability to persuade Israel to alter its military tactics in the Gaza Strip. It is also believed that Washington sees Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the primary obstacle.

It is being stated that Bisde is attempting to secure Israel's agreement to a cease-fire. But Netanyahu it seems is giving Biden a tough challenge and is being impossible to deal with.

Biden, Netanyahu Talk on Hamas War

In recent weeks, Netanyahu, a leader Biden has known for decades, is being privately discussed in the White House. And these discussions are not just limited to the military tactics Israel is implementing.

Biden's descriptions of dealings with Netanyahu are peppered with contemptuous references to Netanyahu as "this guy," according to the people familiar with the developments. So much so, in at least three recent instances, Netanyahu has been rebuked by Biden.

The two leaders have a respectful relationship, as stated by a spokesperson for the National Security Council when asked about Biden's private comments about Netanyahu. "The president has been clear where he disagrees with Prime Minister Netanyahu, but this is a decades-long relationship that is respectful in public and in private," the spokesperson said.

Since being embraced by Biden in a bear hug during a visit to Israel after the Hamas terrorist attack that killed 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023, Netanyahu has been steadily more frustrated with the rising Palestinian civilian death toll in Gaza - now reported at 28,000 - and Netanyahu has been reluctant to pursue a long-term peace agreement.

The bluntness of Biden's private, unfiltered reflections on Netanyahu, as well as the Israeli premier's failure to shift tactics in Gaza, suggest that the dynamic between the two leaders could be nearing an inflection point.

The plan for a ground assault on Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where more than a million Palestinians displaced from northern Gaza are sheltering, is being considered by Israel. Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead with the operation even though U.S. officials have repeatedly expressed their public opposition to it unless Israel provides safe passage to Palestinian civilians.

On Sunday, Netanyahu was told by Biden over phone that it is believed 'a military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan' for protecting and supporting the Palestinians sheltering there.

The bulk of their 45-minute conversation was focused on a long-discussed but repeatedly delayed agreement between Israel and Hamas to free hostages being held in Gaza in exchange for a pause in military operations and the release of Palestinian prisoners, according to the White House.

A notably sharper tone was taken by Biden on Thursday, describing Israel's military assault in Gaza as 'over the top.' Secretary of State Antony Blinken was also decidedly blunt last week after a meeting with Netanyahu in Israel, stating that he told Netanyahu that the number of Palestinian civilians who are dying every day because of Israel's military operations 'remains too high.'

Yet, it has been conveyed by people familiar with Biden's private comments that he believes it would be counterproductive for him to be too harsh on Netanyahu publicly. Biden's frustrations with Netanyahu have also not led to a major policy shift, but such options have begun to be considered by his administration. Two weeks ago, it was revealed by officials that the administration was discussing delaying or slowing U.S. weapons sales to Israel as leverage to get Netanyahu to dial down Israeli military operations in Gaza and do more to protect civilians.

Some Democrats in Congress have called for putting conditions on U.S. aid to Israel. Other Democrats, including military veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, have cited that experience and questioned Israel's tactics, arguing that heavy bombardment and steep civilian casualties are counterproductive methods that threaten to provide more fuel to extremists.

One irritant that has been expressed by Biden in recent private conversations, is that he feels his administration keeps coming up with good deals for Israel, such as a recent one involving Saudi Arabia, only to have Netanyahu reject them.

A deal to release hostages and pause Israel's military operations would cap weeks of high-level efforts by Biden and his top aides to secure a pact, which they hope might eventually lead to a long-term cease-fire. In perhaps some of his rawest recent private moments, however, it has been said by the president that Netanyahu wants the war to drag on so he can remain in power, as stated by three of the people familiar with his comments.

At a fundraiser attended by Biden in the past few weeks, Israel and his frustrations with Netanyahu were discussed to a small group of donors. In response to being thanked for standing with Israel and against antisemitism, Biden took the opportunity to lay out some of his views.