LOS ANGELES.–Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 74, told the Knesset the threats he received from 82-year-old President Joe Biden, threatening to withhold weapons shipments if he went into certain parts of Gaza including Rafah, Khan Younis, Gaza City, saying he “strongly opposes entry into Rafah, threatening to withhold U.S. aid. “President Biden told me that if we go in, we will be left alone,” Netanyahu said. “He also said that he would stop shipments of important weapons to us. And so he did. A few days later, [U.S. Secretary of State Antony] Blinken appeared and repeated the same things and I told him—we will fight with our nails,” Netanyahu said. Biden operated with a pre-Sept. 11 mentality, that the U.S. could force Israel into making concessions with Palestinian terror groups to placate the Arab world. After Sept. 11, Biden never changed his views on Israel, thinking he could still bully Israel.
Netanyahu wanted the Knesset to know the duress he operated with to defend Israel over objection coming from the White House, especially during an Election Year. Netanyahu was pleased with outcome of the U.S. election knowing, that unlike Biden, Trump was an unambiguous backer of Israel in its fight against Iran-backed terror groups creating mayhem in the Mideast. Trump cancelled former President Barack Obama’s Iranian Nuke Deal May 8, 2018, because ending sanctions gave Irans’s 88-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei all the cash he needed to sponsor more terror in the Mideast and Horn of Africa. Khomenei calls his collection of terror groups the “axis of resistance” to sell his phony support for the Palestinian cause. Khamenei exploits the Palestinian cause to advance his terror ambitions in the Mideast and Horn of Africa.
Whether Biden’s threats were idle or not, Netanyahu had enough on his plate to deal with Biden’s game playing, especially in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas massacre that started the war in Gaza. Netanyahu realized there’s no longer room to placate Hamas in Gaza any more. Biden never understood what Israel was up against trying to negotiate with a U.S.-labeled terror group with only one organized mission, to destroy the Jewish State. “Again, we were told by our friend that there was no need to respond to Iran’s missile attacks on Tel Aviv in October,” Netanyahu said. Netanyahu wants the Knesset to know that he operated independent of Biden’s demands that Israel give up its plans to eliminate Hamas from controlling the Gaza Strip. Biden never said how he planned to deal with Hamas staying in Gaza to manage the billions in reconstructive cash when the war ended.
Netanyahu wanted the Knesset to know the importance of Israel’s independence, regardless of the pressure. “We must preserve Israel’s independence. We decided to enter—and we occupied Rafah, the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah crossing, all a hotbed of Hamas smuggling and terror activities. Netanyahu looks forward to working with Trump because he knows what he’s dealing with Iran’s state-sponsored terrorism. Biden was never clear the role Iran played in Mideast terrorism, knowing that it funded Yemen’s Houthi rebels, Gaza’s Hamas terrorists, Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia and Iraq and Syria’s Ketaib Hezbollah, terror groups that have killed U.S. troops. “Our ability to act against these threats will be evaluated in the near future together with incoming administration in Washington,” Netanyahu said, looking forward to coordinating policy with Trump.
Walking a tightrope during the 2024 campaign, Kamala tried to placate Arab groups in Michigan that eventually punished her by voting for Trump. Biden and Harris should not have played around with the No. 1 ally, knowing that Israel has a seamless relationship with the U.S.m military. “This is a moment of decision-making. I am here in Beirut to facilitate that decision, but it’s ultimately the decision of the parties to reach a conclusion to this conflict. It its now within our grasp,” said Lebanon envoy Amos Hochstein, referring to the situation with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Unlike Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah is actually part of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, directly under Ayatollah’s orders. Israel has degraded Hezbollah’s leadership, taking out its Supreme Leader Hassan Nasrallah Sept. 28 and most of its senior leadership.
Netanyahu knows that any peace agreement with Hezbollah must be more than a paper agreement but based on Hezbollah stopping its rocket attacks on Israel. Attacking Israel with rockets since Oct. 7, 2023, Hezbollah started the current conflict with Israel. Netanyahu has no faith in any agreement knowing the Ayatollah could breach it at any time. “Even if there is a ceasefire, nobody can guarantee it will hold. So it’s not our reaction, a preventive reaction, a reaction in the wake of attack, but also the capacity to prevent Hezbollah from strengthening,” Netanyahu said. Netanyahu knows that, like Gaza, Hezbolllah must be kept from rebuilding into its past menacing force under Nasralllah. So, when it comes to any optimistic agreements by the U.S and others, the proof must be in the Ayatollah’s decision to stop escalating violence against Israel and the United States.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
