Israel Accuses Biden Of Attempting To Topple Netanyahu

Channel 12 has reported that the most senior Israeli political source accused Biden of attempting to topple Netanyahu after the latest US intelligence assessment.

A “very senior” Israeli official retaliated on Tuesday against a US intelligence assessment that was released overnight and raised concerns about how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government was handling the war against the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza, suggesting that the government’s survival “may be in jeopardy.”

The official read the intelligence assessment as an attempt to remove Netanyahu from office and declared, “Those who elect the prime minister of Israel are the citizens of Israel and no one else.”

“Israel is not a protectorate of the US but an independent and democratic country whose citizens are the ones who elect the government. We expect our friends to act to overthrow the terror regime of Hamas and not the elected government in Israel,” the official added.

After the Suez Canal incident, the Panama Canal is facing a similar situation, with ships now paying tolls almost eight times higher due to drought.

The US stated the following in its evaluation of Israel: “Distrust of Netanyahu’s ability to rule has deepened and broadened across the public from its already high levels before the war, and we expect large protests demanding his resignation and new elections. A different, more moderate government is a possibility.”

Channel 12 announced at the beginning of its main nightly news program that the comment was from “the most senior Israeli political source you can imagine,” presumably referring to Prime Minister Netanyahu and that the US story had left him “fuming.”

Furthermore, Channel 12 stated that Netanyahu had “decided to embark upon strong, public and dramatic confrontations with the president of the United States.”

According to the same intelligence analysis, the US noted that even though Israel insisted after the October 7 terror attack that it would destroy the terror group and that Netanyahu would once again guarantee “total victory,” Hamas is likely to pose a threat to Israel for years to come.

The assessment stated that although the Israeli public “broadly supports” the terror group’s destruction, “Israel probably will face lingering armed resistance from Hamas for years to come, and the military will struggle to neutralize Hamas’s underground infrastructure, which allows insurgents to hide, regain strength, and surprise Israeli forces.”

Netanyahu stated to AIPAC delegates assembled in Washington earlier on Tuesday that he “deeply appreciate[s] the support we have received from President Biden and the administration, and I hope it will continue” amid mounting strains with the White House.

The premier continued, “But let me be clear: Israel will win this war, no matter what.”

Netanyahu declared that Israel “must destroy the remaining Hamas battalions in Rafah” to win the conflict. “Hamas will regroup, reassemble, and retake Gaza if that happens.”

“That is an intolerable threat to our future, and we will not accept it. We will destroy Hamas, free our hostages and ensure that Gaza doesn’t pose a threat to Israel again,” he added.

He declared that Israel would “finish the job in Rafah” while enabling the civilian population to get out of harm’s way.

Netanyahu said, “You cannot say you support Israel’s right to exist and to defend itself and then oppose Israel when it exercises that right.” This was a broadside aimed at the US and other allies who had expressed concern over the high number of civilian deaths that might occur from an Israeli operation in the crowded southern Gaza city.

“You cannot say you support Israel’s goal of destroying Hamas, and then oppose Israel when it takes the actions necessary to achieve that goal,” he continued.

“You cannot say that you oppose Hamas’s strategy of using civilians as human shields, and then blame Israel for the civilian casualties that result from this Hamas cynical strategy,” Netanyahu insisted. “For Israel, every civilian death is a tragedy. For Hamas, every civilian death is a strategy.”

Therefore, he said, “It is wrong and immoral to hold Israel to a standard for avoiding civilian casualties that no other country on earth is held to.”

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, at least 31,184 Palestinians have died and roughly 72,899 have been injured since October 7. The terror group claims to have killed about 13,000 civilians inside Gaza and a further 1,000 inside Israel following the October 7 slaughter, although these estimates are unsubstantiated and do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Netanyahu assured the AIPAC delegates that “we will overcome” all of the difficulties Israel is receiving from its supporters across the globe and that “complete victory is the only option, and it is within reach.”

Netanyahu declared at the end of his speech that “the overwhelming majority of the American people stand with us,” seemingly directing a subtle jab at Biden. I am aware that the vast majority of Congress members support us.

During the conference, which started on Sunday, the estimated 1,600 AIPAC activists in attendance have also heard from Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Charles Chuck Schumer, and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnel.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan shot down recent allegations that the White House is considering withholding help to Israel if it proceeds with its plans for an operation in Rafah, despite Netanyahu’s concerns about the US’s disintegrating support for Israel’s war against Hamas.

Sullivan stated at a news briefing on Tuesday, “We’re not going to engage in hypotheticals about what comes down the line and the reports that purport to describe the president’s thinking are uninformed speculation.”

He did, however, restate that unless Israel presents a plan to evacuate the more than a million Palestinians who are currently seeking sanctuary in the city—something Jerusalem has not yet done—the US will not back an IDF operation in Rafah.

Over the weekend, Biden emphasized his commitment to continuing to provide Israel with the ability to protect itself while stating that IDF entry into Rafah would constitute a “red line” for his administration. He did not, however, identify the implications of crossing the line.