The dispute deepens… Has Netanyahu become an enemy of the United States?

The British newspaper “The Guardian” reported that “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been deliberately and intentionally seeking a confrontation with the United States since late October. The United Nations Security Council Resolution 2728, which demands

An “immediate ceasefire” is only the latest pretext for this deliberate confrontation. Some consider this unwise, given that the two countries are close allies, given Israel’s heavy reliance on US military aid and its diplomatic umbrella, and especially given US President Joe Biden’s overwhelming and unwavering support for Israel since the October 7 disaster. But Netanyahu has two reasons for inciting such a confrontation.”
According to the newspaper, “The first is that Netanyahu fabricated a narrative that supposedly explains the context of the war, and thus absolves him of the responsibility and accountability that he constantly refuses to bear. It also diverts attention from his stated policy of demanding that Qatar transfer more money to Gaza to strengthen Hamas, all in order to weaken the Palestinian Authority and make any political negotiations impossible. According to this account, October 7 was simply a disaster that could have been avoided if the IDF and Shin Bet intelligence had not failed. The biggest problem now, according to Netanyahu, is the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state that the world, especially the United States, has been trying to impose on Israel since the attack. According to this narrative, only Netanyahu is able to stand up to the United States, challenge the American president, and prevent this farce.”
The newspaper continued, “The second reason is more recent: the confrontation revolves around making Biden a scapegoat for Netanyahu’s failure to achieve “complete victory” or “eliminating Hamas.” The Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, adopted by 14 countries with the United States abstaining, puts Israel on a dual collision course: with the UN Security Council, but more importantly, with the United States. Netanyahu’s tantrums about how “surprised” he is and how the US abstention from the vote constitutes a departure from policy that would prevent victory are a lie. The Biden administration has repeatedly warned him that this will be an inevitable outcome if he continues his intransigence, defiance, and actual refusal to engage with the United States, Israel’s staunch ally and ostensible protector.”
The newspaper added, “The United States has a fundamental, long-standing disagreement with Israel, which is the lack of a coherent political goal for the war, with which military means must be consistent.” The United States repeatedly inquired about Israel’s goals, and all it got was “toppling Hamas,” which is a worthwhile goal, but does not address the issue of “the day after.” Regarding the Security Council, Israel will comfortably explain to itself that the resolution is not a big problem, that there is no imminent threat of sanctions, and that in any case, the UN has always been and will remain hostile to Israel. Maybe, but that’s not the point.
According to the newspaper, “Since approximately January, the United States has negatively revised its assessment of Israel under Netanyahu. The latter does not act as an ally, has accumulated a devastating credibility deficit over the years on many issues, and has deliberately failed to come up with a post-war plan for Gaza, to the point that it is now seriously suspected in Washington of prolonging the war for the sake of its own political instincts. Stay. The current standoff over the Security Council resolution is widening the rift to the point that it is impossible to see how the course will change as long as Netanyahu remains in power.”
The newspaper continued, “Currently, there are three points of disagreement between the United States and Israel regarding the details of continuing the war: the idea that Israel is obstructing humanitarian aid, the death toll of non-combat civilians, and a possible military invasion of Rafah, on the southern tip of Gaza. These differences could have been resolved if Netanyahu and Biden had a working relationship and good faith. In fact, Netanyahu has a long record of repeated confrontations and quarrels with American administrations, from George H.W. Bush to Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and now Biden.
According to the newspaper, “The current state of relations is approaching an inflection point, and it could go in one of two directions: Either Netanyahu will be ousted, withdraw from running in the elections, or lose them, or the United States will be convinced that the bilateral ecosystem has faltered and calls for a major re-evaluation of relations.” Under Netanyahu, Israel has reached the point where its value as an ally is in doubt. “It took the United States some time, but it seems to have finally realized a simple truth: Israel may be an ally, but Netanyahu certainly is not.”