Biden administration displeasure toward Israel and Netanyahu
In short, the delayed call was seen as sending a message A similar dynamic played out after Netanyahu returned as prime minister in late December 2022
It took Biden 9 months to arrange a meeting with Netanyahu and even then, it was on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly rather than at the White House
This snub was viewed as the administration signaling its displeasure toward Israel: 1. displeasure with the Israeli prime minister’s hard-right coalition partners 2. opposition to his judicial overhaul 3. broader dissatisfaction with his government’s policies
There was also a domestic component to this, with Biden trying to placate the progressive wing of the Democratic Party who viewed Netanyahu unfavorably and would look askance at any gesture toward him
Just as in 2021 much ink and airtime were devoted, to why it took so long for Biden, 1. to call Netanyahu 2. and what that meant about Israeli-US relations
Netanyahu’s domestic critics jumped on this as proof that Netanyahu had poisoned Israel-US ties
