Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has canceled a planned meeting between an Israeli delegation and the Biden administration, saying the U.S. has changed its policy toward Israel.
The move stems from a United Nations action on Monday.
The UN Security Council demanded “an immediate ceasefire” in Gaza “for the month of Ramadan respected by all parties leading to a lasting sustainable ceasefire,” Jewish Insider reported.
The resolution also called for “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”
But — and this is the sticking point — the hostage release was not a condition of the cease-fire. The U.S. could have vetoed the resolution, but instead abstained from the vote.
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As a result, Netanyahu canceled the White House meeting scheduled for this week, citing “the change in the American stance.”
The meeting would have included several Israeli officials, including Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi.
Netanyahu’s office stated that by failing to veto the cease-fire resolution, “the U.S. retreated from its consistent stance in the Security Council that only a few days ago tied a ceasefire to the release of hostages.”
But the Biden administration denied that claim.
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“Our vote does not — and I repeat that, does not — represent a shift in our policy,” U.S. national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday. “We’ve been clear and we’ve been consistent in our support for a cease-fire as part of a hostage deal.”
Last week, Russia and China vetoed a U.S. resolution “tying a cease-fire to the release of the 134 hostages, including four Americans, held by Hamas,” Jewish Insider reported.
Over the weekend, the U.S. reportedly sought to change the wording of the resolution eventually enacted Monday. The words “permanent ceasefire” were replaced with “lasting ceasefire.”
And after Monday’s vote, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said she unsuccessfully tried to include a condemnation of Hamas in the resolution.
“We did not agree with everything in the resolution,” she said. “For that reason we were unfortunately not able to vote yes.
“However, as I’ve said before, we fully support some of the critical objectives in this non-binding agreement,” Thomas-Greenfield continued. “And we believe it was important for the council to speak out and make clear that … any cease-fire must come with the release of all hostages.”
A hostage release is “the only durable end to this conflict,” she said.
Last week, President Joe Biden asked that the Israeli delegation come to the White House to discuss a planned military operation in Rafah, a city on Gaza’s southern border with Egypt.
Biden thinks such an operation would be a “mistake,” according to Jewish Insider, while Netanyahu says it would “finally eliminate the remaining Hamas battalions while granting humanitarian solutions to the civilian population.”
The cancelation of the White House meeting reflects the escalating tension between the U.S. and Israel.
Biden has said Israel entering Rafah would be his “red line,” a warning that Netanyahu has ignored.
Another point of contention between Biden and Netanyahu is Biden’s support for a “two-state solution” in the region, which is opposed by Netanyahu, Jewish Insider reported.
The president recently backed Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer after he called for new elections in Israel, drawing accusations of engaging in foreign election interference.
Biden’s increasingly lukewarm attitude toward Israel may reflect his desire to appease large populations of Muslims in Michigan and anti-Israel Democrats nationwide ahead of the 2024 election.
