The Washington Post said that US President Joe Biden and his senior aides are closer to “wiping off their hands” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu than at any time since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, citing informed sources that the US administration no longer considers Netanyahu “ “A positive partner” and they can influence his positions even during secret meetings.

The American newspaper quoted six informed sources, who preferred not to mention their names, confirming that the growing resentment towards Netanyahu prompted Biden’s aides to ask him to direct more public criticism of the Israeli Prime Minister regarding the war he has been leading in Gaza since the seventh of last October.

The newspaper added that Biden, who absolutely supports the Israeli occupation and has known Netanyahu for more than 40 years, and publicly acknowledges that he is a Zionist, was previously reluctant to publicly express what he feels in secret regarding what is happening in Gaza. She explained that the idea has become acceptable to him, especially in light of Netanyahu continuing to anger Biden’s aides by directing public insults to them, and his immediate rejection of “obvious American demands.”

The Washington Post noted that despite all this, the White House refused to exert real pressure by stopping military support for the Israeli occupation or at least subjecting it to conditions, under the pretext that this would “strengthen Israel’s enemies.” Citing the same sources, she added that Biden's aides believe that criticizing Netanyahu will allow the American president to "distance himself from an unpopular leader who adopts scorched earth policies, while continuing to express his permanent support for Israel."

The newspaper said that the point that brought the “Cup of Anger” to fruition was the Israeli intentions to launch a ground military operation in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fleeing the Israeli bombing took refuge.

Regarding this, an external advisor to the White House told the newspaper: “They live in tents and do not get enough water and food, and they are asked to go somewhere else,” asking: “Where? And how can they get to that place?”

Despite its great importance in the Biden administration's calculations and its connection to the war on Gaza, the Washington Post only touched on the 2024 US presidential election file, and merely pointed out that Biden is "paying a political price that grows every day because of his unconditional support" for the Israel. It explained that this is happening even though Netanyahu seems more interested in scoring political points in his favor by strongly rebuking Biden for everything that appeared in public meetings.

The Washington Post added that while Biden is leading a difficult election campaign to remain in his position in the White House for a second term, the results of opinion polls show that young voters, people of African descent, and members of the Arab and Muslim communities, strongly oppose his way of dealing with the war in Gaza.

"Netanyahu challenges Biden"

For its part, the Wall Street Journal devoted an article to the American-Israeli disputes, in which it stated that Netanyahu challenges Biden through his military plan to attack Rafah, adding, quoting experts who said that the Israeli Prime Minister is trying to prolong the war on Gaza, after the results of opinion polls showed a decline. Popular support for him in exchange for internal Israeli support to "continue pursuing the Hamas movement."

The newspaper revealed that Netanyahu chose to direct his message directly to the Americans, through an interview with ABC News on Sunday night. According to leaks of the interview obtained by the Wall Street Journal, Netanyahu claimed that “victory is near,” and that “we will reach what remains of the Hamas brigades (...) in Rafah, their last stronghold.” He also claimed that the Israeli army not entering Rafah would be tantamount to losing the war against Hamas, and would allow it to remain in existence.

In this regard, Netanyahu said today, Sunday, that he had not spoken to the US President since the latter’s statements regarding the Israeli military response to the October 7 operation being “exaggerated,” in an interview with the “Fox News Sunday” program.

In reference to these statements, Netanyahu also said during his interview with ABC: “I appreciate President Biden’s support for Israel since the beginning of the war. I do not know exactly what he meant by that.”

On Thursday, the US President considered that the Israeli military response in the Gaza Strip had “exceeded the limit,” explaining: “I see, as you know, that the behavior of the response in the Gaza Strip has exceeded the limit.”

Netanyahu had announced, on Friday, that he had instructed the security level and the Israeli army to prepare a plan to carry out a military operation in Rafah, while the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper explained that the army had practically approved the plan it had prepared for the military operation in Rafah, which also includes the evacuation of residents from there. 

Netanyahu's insistence on launching a military operation in Rafah comes despite international criticism and the fear of a large number of casualties in the area, which the Israeli army had previously ordered the civilian population to migrate towards, as it intensified the bombing in the center and north of the Gaza Strip.