Israel-Gaza war: will Netanyahu defy Biden and press ahead with Rafah invasion after UN vote on ceasefire?
- Trust between Biden and Netanyahu appear to be eroding after the US allowed passage of a Gaza ceasefire resolution at the United Nations
- The move also complicates efforts to get the Israeli leader to consider alternatives to a ground invasion of Rafah as famine looms in the enclave
Wartime relations between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sank to a new low on Monday with the US allowing passage of a Gaza ceasefire resolution at the United Nations and drawing a sharp rebuke from the Israeli leader.
Netanyahu abruptly scrapped a visit to Washington this week by a senior delegation to discuss Israel’s threatened offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah after Washington abstained in a Security Council vote that demanded an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the release of all hostages held by the Palestinian militants.
The suspension of that meeting puts a major new obstacle in the way of efforts by the US, concerned about a deepening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, to get Netanyahu to consider alternatives to a ground invasion of Rafah, the last relatively safe haven for Palestinian civilians.
The threat of such an offensive has increased tensions between long-time allies the United States and Israel, and raised questions about whether the US might restrict military aid if Netanyahu defies Biden and presses ahead anyway.
“This shows that trust between the Biden administration and Netanyahu may be breaking down,” said Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East negotiator for Republican and Democratic administrations. “If the crisis is not managed carefully, it’s only going to continue to worsen.”
Biden’s decision to abstain at the UN, coming after months of mostly adhering to long-time US policy of shielding Israel at the world body, appeared to reflect growing US frustration with the Israeli leader.