In the story of Joe Biden’s foreign policy legacy, his alienation of Israel ranks among the most disastrous consequences of his presidency. The next occupant of the White House will face a crucial challenge in restoring America’s relationship with its most important Middle East ally.
Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the phone last week for the first time in more than two months in a conversation that the New York Times described as “carrying the weight of the worst relationship between the United States and Israel in years.” That may be an understatement, as the Biden-Harris administration has waffled in its support for Israel as it faces growing hostility on all sides – including a recent missile barrage from Iran.
A significant part of the tension appears to stem from Biden’s disdain for Netanyahu, a conservative who returned to power in 2022. According to an excerpt from famed journalist Bob Woodward’s upcoming book, “War,” Biden called the Israeli PM a “f***ing liar” and a “son of a b****” for invading Rafah, a city in the Gaza Strip, against Biden’s wishes.
Biden reportedly said to Netanyahu, “You know the perception of Israel around the world increasingly is that you’re a rogue state, a rogue actor.” Shortly after the operation was launched, the Israeli Defense Forces recovered the bodies of six hostages who were killed in Rafah.
But the roots of the frayed U.S.-Israeli relationship go beyond just Biden’s antagonism toward Netanyahu.
Following the October 7 attacks on Israel last year, the Biden-Harris administration offered what many saw as a lackluster response that has now devolved into open opposition to Israel’s military operations against Hamas and its backers in Lebanon and Iran. Despite Hamas killing nearly 1,200 innocent civilians – including 46 American citizens – and taking hundreds of captives, Biden urged “restraint” in Israel’s response.
From there things continued to go downhill, hitting another low point in May when the Biden-Harris administration temporarily halted ammunition shipments to Israel. (It’s worth noting that unilaterally holding up congressionally approved weapons to go to an ally is precisely what Democrats falsely accused and impeached former president Donald Trump over in 2019.) Since then, Biden and his top national security aides, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have openly pushed for a “ceasefire” – effectively signaling to Hamas and its allies that their efforts to undermine U.S. support for Israel are beginning to bear fruit.
Much of the Biden-Harris administration’s hesitance to fully back Israel is likely due to domestic political considerations, specifically blowback from anti-Israel activists in the Democrat Party base and key groups of voters in swing states. In Michigan, which has a large Muslim population, more than 100,000 Democrats cast their votes for “uncommitted” in the state’s Democrat primary earlier this year as a protest against Biden. In a state that went for Biden by about 150,000 votes in 2020, such a revolt could also prove disastrous for Harris now that she has taken over as the Democrat nominee.
Meanwhile, some elected Democrats also began openly pressuring Biden to end its support for the Israeli war effort. The White House’s decision to halt ammunition sales notably came following a letter from 88 House Democrats urging Biden to stop providing offensive weaponry. The Republican-controlled House later passed a bill requiring Biden to resume weapons shipments – only to have the Democrat-controlled Senate kill the bill and Biden threaten to veto it.
Biden’s decision to capitulate to a loud minority of anti-Israel voices in his own party has only further alienated Jerusalem, which is now effectively keeping the United States – once a key intelligence partner – in the dark about its military operations.
As The Wall Street Journal reported last week, U.S. officials have been “frustrated that they have been repeatedly caught off guard by Israel’s military actions in Gaza and Lebanon.” Israeli officials notably failed to inform the Biden-Harris administration ahead of its recent strike against Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, leading to Defense Secretary Llyod Austin angrily asking if Israel was prepared to be “alone” in defending itself.
Biden’s strained relationship with Israel is just the most recent and alarming example of the president alienating longstanding U.S. allies. A botched submarine deal with Australia earlier in his presidency led to France – America’s oldest ally – recalling its ambassador. Other U.S. allies in Europe were similarly upset over the chaotic nature of the American withdrawal from Afghanistan which led to widespread chaos in the region.
While Biden is on his way out as president, he may yet deal more damage to U.S.-Israeli relations before he departs the White House. Hostilities are still ramping up in the Middle East, and Israel is reportedly considering major strikes in Iran, including on Iranian nuclear facilities. Whatever Israel decides to do, it seems that Biden is likely to be left out of the loop once again.
The tattered U.S.-Israel relationship is just one of many instances where Biden will leave the world a more dangerous and uncertain place. After promising to be a great diplomat and peacemaker, Biden has proven to be neither. It will be up to the next president to clean up his mess.
Andrew Shirley is a veteran speechwriter and AMAC Newsline columnist. His commentary can be found on X at @AA_Shirley.
