Washington
CNN
—
President Joe Biden’s decision to issue an ultimatum this week that a major Israeli attack in the city of Rafah would lead to the suspension of some of the United States’ weapons arsenals was not an easy or light one.
This came after he had several calls with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since mid-February, urging him to reconsider plans to invade the densely populated southern city of Gaza, which is a key route for humanitarian aid.
Hours of virtual and in-person meetings between Mr. Biden’s top national security officials and their Israeli counterparts were aimed at sending the same message, officials said. Biden aides say there are other ways to go after Hamas, including: Officials say they have invaded the city, where more than 1 million Palestinians are seeking safety.
The president and his team warned Prime Minister Netanyahu at various levels that a large-scale invasion of Rafah would not be supported by American weapons. White House officials said Thursday that the White House believed the message was well understood by the Israeli government.
Still, making these warnings public was a step Biden had long taken cautiously. That would be a turning point and the biggest rupture in U.S.-Israel relations since the start of the Gaza war in the wake of the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas. Despite pressure from his party’s progressive wing to take steps to limit humanitarian suffering in Gaza, Mr. Biden has been careful to avoid an open rift with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Still, during Prime Minister Netanyahu’s war cabinet meeting, a decision to enter Rafah appeared imminent. The IDF has now established a presence in Rafah and along its border, blocking two aid entry points and warning of a major offensive ahead.
Officials said Mr. Biden eventually came to believe his warnings would be ignored and changed course.
Last week, Biden signed a moratorium on 3,500 bombs to Israel that administration officials feared would be dropped on Rafah. And on Wednesday, in an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett at a community college in Wisconsin, Biden revealed to the world what he said he had already revealed privately to Prime Minister Netanyahu.
“If they go into Rafah, I will not be supplying the weapons that have historically been used to deal with Rafah, deal with the city, deal with that problem,” Biden told Barnett. Told.
The president’s aides said the message was not a surprise to the intended Israeli recipients.
White House National Security Council Press Secretary John Kirby said, “The fact that he expressed himself and his concerns frankly and openly in his interview with Erin Burnett shows that he is not presenting himself to Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israeli officials.” I can say with certainty that it matches the way it was expressed.” he said Thursday.
Kirby said the Israeli government has “understood for some time” the impact that a major Rafah attack would have on the future of U.S. arms shipments.
Israeli officials, whether aware of the president’s views or not, reacted with shock to the announcement. Prime Minister Netanyahu was defiant.
“If we have to be isolated, we will be isolated. I also said we would fight with our claws if necessary,” he said Thursday. Israeli officials also sought to downplay the significance of Biden’s announcement. Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said Israel already has the weapons needed for the planned mission.
Mr. Biden told CNN that in addition to the 2,000-pound bomb, the United States could have artillery on standby in the event of an invasion of Rafah. Despite their smaller size than bombs, the Biden administration views artillery as indiscriminate and inaccurate weapons that can cause dangerous casualties in urban areas.
Israel maintains, and U.S. officials agree, that its current operations in Rafah are “limited.” But behind the scenes, doubts about Israel’s intentions persist, and there is limited clarity on how the United States plans to proceed, CNN found.
Biden’s dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Netanyahu has grown over the course of the conflict, even though the US president has publicly asserted his unwavering support for the state of Israel.
Biden made it clear that no matter what direction the Israel-Hamas war takes, the United States will remain Israel’s strongest ally as long as he is president. Advisers said that conviction was separate from developments in the president’s relationship with Netanyahu.
“Israel is not the same as Prime Minister Netanyahu,” a senior Biden adviser told CNN.
Rafa isn’t the only one frustrated in this relationship. Biden aides said the president was already on edge after the Israeli Defense Forces mistakenly killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in the Gaza Strip, one of them an American citizen, in early April. His patience was shattered.
Mr. Biden expressed outrage upon learning the news, advisers said. He told his advisers that the aid workers’ deaths were viewed as an unacceptable “breakdown” in some of the most fundamental ways Israel was expected to wage war, and that a new response was now needed. It was clearly stated that. His team immediately arranged a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A few weeks ago, Biden told friends on Capitol Hill in comments picked up on a hot mic that he and the prime minister were likely headed for some sort of rift. He prophesied a time would come when the two leaders would “come to Jesus.”
Advisors did not deny that Biden’s call with Netanyahu in April was at least as close to a “come to Jesus” moment as either leader had ever experienced before. . In a brief phone call, Biden issued a new warning to Netanyahu that if Israel did not correct course, the United States would reconsider how it supports allies in the conflict.
This was the clearest sign yet that Biden was beginning to seriously consider conditioning U.S. aid to Israel six months into the war. But even then, it was unclear exactly what the outcome would be and what Israeli actions would ultimately push Biden into a corner.
Since that call, the White House has praised Israel for taking steps to expand humanitarian assistance, including opening additional borders. But Rafah cast a shadow on relations after Israeli officials insisted on the need to go after Hamas in the city, even though Biden aides said they saw no plans to protect civilians there. continued.
According to sources, no agreement was reached on the issue during talks between the two sides. White House officials were unconvinced by Israel’s plan to protect civilians and declared in a public statement that the invasion of the city amounted to a humanitarian disaster.
“The president and his team have been clear for weeks that they do not support a major ground operation in Rafah, where more than 1 million people have been displaced with no safe place to go,” Kirby said. said Thursday. “The president has said that publicly, and he has repeatedly and frankly communicated that to Prime Minister Netanyahu.”
After Biden’s CNN interview, officials emphasized that the White House’s position on conditional aid was hypothetical. If the United States launches an invasion of Rafah, it will simply reduce the equipment and weapons it provides to its longtime ally.
Despite the president’s declaration that he is not “away from Israel’s security,” that hasn’t stopped his critics from accusing him of abandoning Israel. Biden’s political opponents from all walks of life in the Republican Party, from former President Donald Trump to Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, likened the announcement to a message of abandonment as the war on terrorists continues.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who just survived an ouster attempt, even suggested in an interview with Politico that it was a “senior moment” for Biden to make this comment.
Some Democrats also voiced criticism. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, an ardent supporter of Israel, said he disagreed with Mr. Biden’s plan to withhold some arms shipments to Israel, calling the move “a PR war for Hamas.” “It shows that we are winning against the United States.”
“I’m concerned about that and I don’t agree with the president’s opinion,” he told CNN’s Manu Raju.
Sen. Jon Tester, a vulnerable Democrat from Montana, was asked about Biden’s response to arms shipments and said, “I think it should be made public.” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin also said he planned to discuss the details of the plan with administration officials later Thursday.
“We’re trying to legally look into what they’re doing and why,” he said. “Therefore, I will refrain from making any specific comments until I have had the opportunity to speak with the administration.”
The president’s position amounted to the toughest public stance against Israel since the start of the war, but it appears to have done little to satisfy those within his own party who are campaigning for an end to U.S. aid.
“I think this is a good step forward. We must do more,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Democratic socialist from Vermont, said on CNN, adding that Biden’s warnings about weapon conditioning ” It should have been announced sooner,” he added.
