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But after Sunday’s attack on Iran, Biden called the U.S. commitment to defending Israel in the conflict with Iran “ironclad” and renewed his call for Congress to authorize more military aid to Israel.
These two messages could coexist, with Biden telling Israel to change course on one aspect of its conflict with its neighbor while pledging unwavering support on another.
“We were about to get tougher on Israel because the president publicly threatened to condition military aid, but then the Iranian attack happened and everything got sidelined.” said Frank Loewenstein, a former State Department official who contributed. -2014 Palestine negotiations. “We are now back on track on their critical security issues.”
Lowenstein added: “What are the implications going forward for all of the things that we’ve prioritized in the past, including ceasefires, humanitarian aid, and settler violence?”
U.S. officials have publicly and privately called on Israel to show restraint after Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles into Israeli territory on Saturday night. Officials said 99% of the projectiles were intercepted and damage to Israel was minimal.
But Israeli officials said they could not let the unprecedented air raid go unchecked. They were considering how best to respond Monday without unduly angering allies. Support for Israel in the face of Iranian attacks stands in stark contrast to the country’s criticism of its implementation of a scorched-earth policy in Gaza.
On Monday, the White House sought to characterize the Iranian government’s failure to cause significant damage or casualties as a major victory for Israel, in part due to the need to respond to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It seems that the purpose was to convey that there was no such thing. The US government also stressed that it would not participate in any military response planned by Israel.
White House Press Secretary John Kirby said Monday that Biden told Netanyahu that “this was an extraordinary success…and that success alone…speaks volumes about Israel’s position in the region.” “The President urged the Prime Minister to consider what this success says for the rest of the region.”
Kirby argued that Iran’s attacks strengthened Israel’s strategic position and weakened Iran’s. Because this suggests that Iran has little ability to harm Israel. Since October 7, when Hamas militants easily breached Gaza border defenses, killing 1,200 people, many of them civilians, and taking 253 hostages, the White House has announced that Israel has seemed to be trying to reduce their sense of vulnerability and isolation. authorities.
Israeli retaliatory strikes in Gaza have killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, with a high civilian death toll and Israel’s refusal to accept large amounts of aid to Gaza. This has led to intense international criticism.
“Today, many people around the world support Israel,” Kirby said Monday, adding that “unlike Iran, which has become increasingly isolated on the world stage, Israel has friends.”
Iran’s actions last weekend came in response to Israel’s attack on Iranian diplomatic facilities in Syria two weeks ago, killing two senior commanders. Iran said over the weekend that no further military action beyond a barrage of missiles or drones was currently planned, but that any further Israeli action would be met with “at least a 10-fold response.”
Since the October 7 attack, Israel has said it needs to re-establish deterrence in the region and has sought to respond to a range of threats in its neighborhood with military force. Opponents include Hamas in Gaza as well as Hezbollah on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where months of rocket fire have led to deaths in Lebanon. Tens of thousands of Israeli citizens have not yet returned to their homes in the north as fighting continues.
U.S. officials are now increasingly concerned that Israel is moving beyond a years-long “shadow war” between the two countries, involving proxies and relatively limited attacks, to direct confrontation with Iran. There is. They fear such a development risks embroiling the United States, which is one reason why they urged Israel on Monday not to escalate the conflict.
Nevertheless, Israeli leaders have indicated that they believe they must respond to a barrage of weapons fired directly onto their territory.
“One of the benefits of Israel not attacking is that it could create a diplomatic effort to isolate Iran, which would reduce public pressure on Gaza,” said Davidson, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington. Ron Halber said. “Israelis know that. The fact that they are willing to strain relations with the Biden administration over the counterattack shows the psychological impact October 7th has had on the Israeli psyche.” .”
Biden officials’ anxiety about the coming weeks is compounded by concerns about Netanyahu’s thinking. U.S. officials are increasingly convinced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is putting his own political survival above all else, and that the multi-pronged fighting could be prolonged. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is deeply unpopular among Israeli voters, who blame him for the security failures that led to the October 7 attack and has been indicted on multiple corruption charges, but his rivalry It’s difficult to defeat him when he continues to do so.
Many U.S. officials believe Netanyahu is more concerned about resettling Gaza and Israeli settlers in the West Bank than heeding Biden’s appeals to de-escalate tensions and provide more aid. They fear it will be far more focused on appeasing far-right members of the coalition who support direct combat with Iran. and the protection of Palestinians. Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected Biden’s demands since October 7, despite the unwavering military and diplomatic support provided by the United States.
“There are a lot of Israeli governments that want a conflict with Iran and see this as an opportunity to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program or get the United States involved,” said Bruce Riedel, a senior fellow at Brookings University. Stated. An agency that worked on Middle East issues during the Clinton administration.
Netanyahu is “obsessed with political survival,” Riedel added. “He knows that if a ceasefire is reached and this conflict ends, the Israeli people will demand accountability and he will step down immediately. He will then face a corruption trial. ”
The risk of escalation between Iran and Israel also overshadows the flammability of the occupied West Bank. Israeli settlers have gone on a rampage against Palestinians in the area in recent days following the death of an Israeli teenager. One Palestinian was killed and dozens injured when settlers set fire to houses and cars.
The White House has been pressuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to curb violence among Israeli settlers and has imposed sanctions on several settlers accused of violence against Palestinians, but the West Bank conflict remains under control. Operationally, this may be another issue that is difficult to address. This is to prevent further escalation in the wider Middle East.
“If the Biden administration has been dissatisfied, what has happened so far has not made them any less dissatisfied, but made it more difficult to change course,” one outside adviser said. “What we are seeing is that Israel is in this not just for Gaza, but to eliminate the threats that it has faced and has been willing to coexist with, but that it no longer intends to coexist with. I think you understand.”
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