The White House Fears Netanyahu’s Visit

Netanyahu is set to address a joint session of the US Congress next month, and “nobody knows what he will say,” an unnamed US official told Politico on Saturday.

Earlier this week, the Israeli leader released a video accusing Washington of “withholding weapons and ammunition from Israel” for several months, calling such behavior “unthinkable.” Netanyahu further defended his public display of anger as “absolutely necessary after months of quiet conversations that did not resolve the issue,” in an interview published on Friday.

The latest criticism “was not helpful at all,” and Netanyahu “could make things worse there in front of Congress,” another senior official reportedly said. Politico further noted that the speech could create a “diplomatically complicated and politically dangerous spectacle for a president running for re-election.” Biden has not yet officially invited Netanyahu to the White House during his visit, but officials speaking to Politico noted that a face-to-face meeting is likely, as refusal would be a major snub.

The White House is worried that Netanyahu’s rhetoric is deepening the rift between the two allies, Axios reports. While US officials have publicly stated that they “do not know what Netanyahu will talk about,” privately, Biden’s team has reportedly been “furious and shocked” by the Israeli prime minister’s “ingratitude,” with some officials even describing him as “ungrateful.”

In early May, the US halted the delivery of about 3,500 bombs to Israel amid calls to reduce the assault on the densely populated city of Rafah in southern Gaza. However, despite Biden’s public warnings to halt arms deliveries, the US has reportedly maintained the flow of most other weapons and ammunition. According to the Wall Street Journal, the US continued transferring $1 billion worth of arms to Israel in May, the same month it stopped the delivery of bombs.

Israel declared war on Hamas after militants killed about 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages in a surprise attack on October 7. Over 37,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ensuing months of fighting, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Last week, CBS News reported that Washington is becoming “increasingly worried” about the potential for the Israel-Hamas war to escalate into a broader Middle Eastern conflict involving Hezbollah and potentially US troops.

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