Joe Biden has become increasingly frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the IDF continues with its military operation in Gaza.
Biden, 81, has reportedly labelled Netanyahu an “a**hole” and an obstacle to a ceasefire in private.
The President could look to distance himself from his Israeli counterpart after Washington aired concerns about events in Rafah.
Israel’s decision to continue its operation into Rafah resulted in around 1.4 million Palestinians being sheltered.
Joe Biden with Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to Tel Aviv in October
GETTY
During a phone call on Sunday, Biden told Netanyahu that he believes “a military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan” to evacuate civilians.
Biden also supposedly told Netanyahu: “I love you, Bibi, even if I can’t stand you.”
The Israeli Prime Minister frustrated other figures from Washington after denouncing a hostage deal brokered by Antony Blinken.
Biden is under mounting pressure to take a more critical stance on Netanyahu.
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An Israeli soldier operates, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in GazaREUTERS
The 81-year-old, who is a staunch supporter of Israel, appears reluctant to make his frustrations public but is said to be coming round to the idea.
However a spokesperson for the National Security Council has insisted that Biden and Netanyahu have a respectful relationship.
They said: “The President has been clear where he disagrees with Prime Minister Netanyahu, but this is a decades-long relationship that is respectful in public and in private.”
The Israel-Hamas conflict has taken its toll on Biden’s popularity in recent months, particularly with young women.
Joe Biden is under pressure to change tact over his stance on Israel
GB NEWS
JL Partners co-founder James Johnson told GB News last month: “There’s been a decline of 20 percentage points since the summer.
“The big thing going on there is Israel and the feeling that the Biden administration has taken a pro-Israel stance. These women are not going to go to Trump.”
JL Partners found Biden’s lead over Trump among the key demographic collapsed from 27 points to just 10 per cent.
The 46th President’s support tanked around the time he claimed a “ceasefire [in Gaza] is not peace”.
Biden added: “Our goal should not be simply to stop the war for today — it should be to end the war forever, break the cycle of unceasing violence, and build something stronger in Gaza and across the Middle East so that history does not keep repeating itself.”
