Biden’s Impatience with Bibi Says More about Democrat Antisemitism Than It Does Israel

By Luther Ray Abel

Sunday, January 14, 2024

 

A report from Axios on Sunday morning uses a mix of unnamed sources and a U.S. senator’s word to make the claim that President Biden and other senior U.S. officials are becoming “increasingly frustrated” with Bibi Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister. Their complaint, according to these sources, is that Netanyahu is not conducting the Israel–Gaza war in the way that U.S. officials would prefer: allowing Hamas access to stockpiles of cash, weapons, and aid in the name of civilian relief. There is good reason to believe that Biden is frustrated, since he hasn’t communicated with Netanyahu in a few weeks. The primary source of that irritation is that progressive activists are holding American streets and commuters hostage with “anti-Zionism” marches. Within the Democratic coalition, defending Israel is not popular.

 

Barak Ravid reports for Axios:

 

Why it matters: Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack 100 days ago, Biden has given Israel his full backing, with unprecedented military and diplomatic support, even while taking a political hit from part of his base in an election year. That support has largely continued publicly, but behind the scenes, there are growing signs that Biden is losing his patience, the U.S. officials said.

 

·         “The situation sucks and we are stuck. The president’s patience is running out,” one U.S. official told Axios.

 

·         “At every juncture, Netanyahu has given Biden the finger,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who has been in close contact with U.S. officials about the war, told Axios. “They are pleading with the Netanyahu coalition, but getting slapped in the face over and over again.”

 

Behind the scenes: Biden hasn’t spoken to Netanyahu in the 20 days since a tense Dec. 23 call, which a frustrated Biden ended with the words: “This conversation is over.” They had spoken almost every other day in the first two months of the war.

 

·         Before Biden hung up, Netanyahu had rejected his request that Israel release the Palestinian tax revenues it’s withholding.

 

·         National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby tried to downplay the decrease in communication, telling reporters on Wednesday that “it doesn’t say anything” about the state of the relationship.

 

Biden is staring down the gun of losing a head-to-head matchup with each of the GOP’s top candidates. He can ill afford to enrage his base by telling them that American support for Israel isn’t going anywhere. Instead, it would appear the administration is using its media connections to placate the anti-Zionist activists. I somehow doubt appeasement will work, however.

 

As National Review‘s Caroline Downey reported:

 

A pro-Palestinian protest in Washington, D.C., got unruly on Saturday night as activists nearly breached an exterior White House gate and clashed with riot police.

 

Protesters rushed against the reinforced gate, an extra security measure installed in front of the primary White House gate, causing it to shake while some tried to scale the structure. Police and presumably some secret service agents waited on the other side to deter the demonstrators.

 

“Break it down!!” one protester bellowed amid the cacophony.

 

The anti-Zionist (i.e., functionally antisemitic) Left has no place for a Biden administration that verbally chastises Israel while dispensing it aid and allowing its existence.

 

As for Israel and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D., Md.), there are two reasons why an ally might be slapping the Biden admin in the face: Either the ally isn’t an ally at all, or, perhaps he’s looking to snap Biden out of his delusion. Adjusting for personal bias, the latter remains the more convincing of the two.