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Biden Calls Netanyahu Amid Heightened Middle East Tensions

President Joe Biden finally decided to pick up the phone and give Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a call, marking their first conversation in weeks. One might think this was a historic diplomatic moment worth celebrating, but it comes at a time when tensions are so high in the Middle East that one might expect any communication to be conducted via smoke signals or carrier pigeons instead. The Biden-Netanyahu relationship, once rooted in decades of camaraderie, took a nosedive over the past year, particularly after Hamas pulled off its infamous terrorist attack that left Israel reeling.

In this recent phone call, Biden and Netanyahu had a lot more on their plates than a casual chat over coffee. With Iran stepping up its missile attacks on Israel, the discussion inevitably veered towards retaliation. While Netanyahu weighs his options—some of which could include targeting Iran’s nuclear ambitions—it seems the Biden administration is simultaneously playing the role of backseat driver. Biden has already made it perfectly clear he is not supportive of Israel going after Iran’s nuclear sites, though he claims to affirm Israel’s right to retaliate against the recent missile barrage. This kind of contradictory messaging makes one wonder if Biden is more interested in leading from behind—assuming that’s even a viable tactic in a region where stronger responses are often required.

In the meantime, Israel has kept its focus on Hamas and Hezbollah. While rigorous operations in Gaza continue, Israeli forces are also conducting limited incursions into southern Lebanon to mitigate Hezbollah’s threats. The U.S. State Department is backing these localized operations, but it’s a peculiar kind of support, as it doesn’t seem to be getting the desired results yet. They are battling an enemy that refuses to play by anyone else’s rules, shooting rockets while singing the tune of a ceasefire agreement—a move that looks a lot like a strategic retreat from a difficult position.

The Biden administration has been trying to toe the line between containing the violence and avoiding a wider war that could drag the U.S. into a quagmire of geopolitical music. Their method, if one can call it that, aims to pacify Israel while rendering it essentially ineffective under the weight of its allies’ supposed wisdom. The result? A relationship frayed at the edges, made all the more clear by the peculiar revelations by Bob Woodward, who claims Biden disparaged Netanyahu in quiet moments. Such a public airing of nasty laundry exposes the real tension simmering under the surface. All the while, Biden has been more than willing to communicate with other Israeli leaders—except the one who has been in charge of defending the nation.

The dynamics between the U.S. and Israel have become akin to that of a couple in therapy—where one partner is perceived to be emotionally distant and disinterested, while the other is frantically trying to save the relationship. The whole scene does beg the question: what does Biden really think of his allies? If his approach is any indication, it seems the White House would rather play the role of a peacemaker while keeping their hands clean, even as bombs are falling and chaos reigns. With a lead-up to another election year, one could guess this fractured relationship might be a hot topic for Biden’s Democratic campaign—assuming Netanyahu doesn’t make him look bad first.
 

Written by Staff Reports

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