Joe Biden is a lame duck and not nearly as smart as he thinks he is, especially in foreign policy. That reputation has been stained, as even European allies witnessed a president in decline, unable to carry meetings, and exhibiting tendencies many had witnessed with their elderly parents. It’s why Biden quit the race. He didn’t have the juice, and he was going to lose badly.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also knows this, and he can’t trust his nation’s security in our election. Right now, he needs to focus on what his nation wants him and future prime ministers to do following the October 7 attacks: eliminate Israel’s enemies. Biden got chippy during a call with Netanyahu this week, urging him to end the war through a hostage ceasefire deal within the next few weeks. It also revealed a craven political goal: he wants this war over with, not because he wants to end the loss of life in this war. Biden needs this wrapped up before the Democratic National Convention (via Axios):
If you're good at math, you know that the timeline being demanded by Biden just so happens to be a few days before the with DNC convention.
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) August 2, 2024
He's telling an American ally to surrender to terrorists so his political convention isn't protested. Wild. pic.twitter.com/CRJbDEvuOx
President Biden privately demanded in a "tough" call Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stop escalating tensions in the region and move immediately toward a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, two U.S. officials told Axios.
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U.S. officials told Axios Biden called Netanyahu to discuss U.S.-Israeli joint military preparations for retaliations by Iran and Hezbollah — but also to make clear he was not pleased with the direction the Israeli prime minister has taken in the last week.
One U.S. official said Biden complained to Netanyahu that the two had just spoken last week in the Oval Office about securing the hostage deal, but instead Netanyahu went ahead with the assassination in Tehran.
Biden then told Netanyahu the U.S. will help Israel defeat an Iranian attack, but after that he expects no more escalation from the Israeli side and immediate movement toward a hostage deal, the U.S. official said.
Biden also warned Netanyahu that if he escalates again, he shouldn't count on the U.S. to bail him out, the U.S. official added.
The White House declined to comment.
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At the end of the meeting with Netanyahu in the Oval office last Thursday, Biden became emotional, raised his voice and told Netanyahu he needs to reach a Gaza deal as soon as possible, three Israeli officials with knowledge of the meeting told Axios.
"Biden raised his voice and said he wants a deal reached within a week to two weeks," a senior Israeli official said.
"Biden told Netanyahu that a hostage and ceasefire deal is the most important thing right now," the Israeli official added.
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"We are at an inflection point … we need to do everything to end the war and reach regional stability, even if the deal is not perfect. Hamas wants the deal right now. It might change," Biden told Netanyahu, according to the notes of one of the participants.
Biden has degraded the American presidency to its lowest point since Franklin Pierce. Arguably, we have no president, which was demonstrated again with this reversal of the plea deal with the masterminds of the 9/11 terror attacks: it was approved, then ripped up by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who later relieved the overseer of the military court at Gitmo. The White House caretaker thinks that Hamas wants a deal, and Israel should accept it even if it’s atrocious. What kind of advice is this? Hamas doesn’t want a deal; they’ve rejected at least 12 since the war began, and you don’t trust terrorists.
The longer this war goes, the more it hurts the Democratic Party since their base is fraught with pro-Hamas and antisemitic voters who happen to do key states like Michigan. They also don’t want mayhem at the convention. With a northern front opening in Lebanon soon, potentially, the last thing Democrats need is another major war breaking out in the Middle East.