Biden and Netanyahu set to meet at fragile moment in their relationship

By CNN Newsource

Published July 25, 2024 4:00 AM

By Michael Williams, CNN

Washington (CNN) — President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are set to speak on Thursday – a high-stakes meeting that comes at a crossroads for both Israel’s war in Gaza and Biden’s political future.

The meeting, which follows Netanyahu’s address to Congress on Wednesday, is Biden’s first meeting with a world leader since announcing he would drop out of the 2024 race, and it comes at a fragile point in their decadeslong relationship. While the US president has remained firmly behind Israel, even as its campaign in Gaza has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, both leaders have traded not-so-subtle barbs in recent months over the future of the war and how Netanyahu has waged it.

Biden has described Israel’s actions in Gaza as “over the top,” threatened to withhold some new arms transfers and repeatedly pressured Netanyahu to scale back and be more precise in his military operation in Gaza – criticism that reached a peak when an Israeli strike killed seven World Central Kitchen workers in early April. The Israeli leader has been steadfast in his position that the war will not end until Hamas is eliminated while accusing the US of withholding weapons from its closest ally – claims that American officials flatly rejected.

The moment is also crucial as Israel’s operations in Gaza threaten to snowball into a broader regional war, as Israel and Lebanon continue to trade cross-border fire.

Speaking in front of Congress this week, Netanyahu did not substantially address the status of ceasefire negotiations. He instead praised Biden for his “heartfelt support” for Israel after the October 7 Hamas attack while urging the US to fast-track military aid to “dramatically expedite an end to the war.”

“As we defend ourselves on all fronts, I know that America has our back and I thank you for it – all sides of the aisle,” Netanyahu said.

The US does not believe, for now, that Netanyahu is standing in the way of or delaying a ceasefire and hostage deal, and believes that progress is being made amid ongoing negotiations, according to a senior administration official. Both the Israelis and Hamas, the official said, have elements they need to agree on before a deal is reached, and not one side is holding up negotiations at this point.

The in-person meeting at the White House will be the first time the two men have met in person since Biden’s trip to Israel last year following the October 7 attack, although the two men have spoken frequently on the phone. It will be followed by a meeting with American hostage families, and then Netanyahu will meet with Vice President Kamala Harris, whom Biden has endorsed to replace him on the top of the Democratic ticket.

The prime minister in his remarks to Congress criticized anti-Israel protesters as “Iran’s useful idiots” and falsely downplayed the role of Israel in causing the ongoing civilian suffering in Gaza.

Biden’s support for Israel’s war had been one his most politically toxic issues within his own party for much of the year, with many of his public campaign appearances being repeatedly interrupted by protesters demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. Biden’s stance toward those protests has been conciliatory – he has repeatedly responded to them by saying that the protesters have a point, and that too many innocent people are dying in Gaza.

But the national conversation surrounding Biden’s handling of Israel’s war took a back seat to the waves of Democratic concern about his ability to beat former President Donald Trump after his faltering debate performance last month. Trump and Netanyahu will meet Friday at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump announced Tuesday.

Last week, Biden spoke extensively about the war in the Middle East for the first time in months – telling a Complex Networks interviewer that he considers himself a Zionist but adding that he’s “done more for the Palestinian community than anybody” while still calling for more aid to reach the Gaza Strip.

“I’m the guy that opened up all the assets. I’m the guy that made sure that – I got the Egyptians to open the border to let goods through, medicine and food,” Biden said. “I have been very supportive of the Palestinians, but Hamas, they’re a bunch of thugs.”

Biden and Netanyahu last spoke during a 30-minute call on July 4, during which both leaders “focused” on details about a possible hostage exchange and ceasefire deal.

A deal was never finalized or assured during that call.

CNN’s MJ Lee contributed to this report.