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"For months, Netanyahu and his government have consistently ignored American counsel as to how to prosecute the war in Gaza against Hamas after the Oct. 7 terror attacks. Biden and his aides were repeatedly frustrated by Israel’s widening war aims within Gaza — with a devastating impact on Palestinian civilians — even at the cost of a deal to free the remaining hostages.

Biden deemed Israel’s response “over the top” and did stop one shipment of American arms to Israel. But even as pressure grew from fellow Democrats to create distance from Netanyahu, Biden’s reflexive instinct was to support Israel despite the swelling humanitarian crisis. As his influence over Netanyahu shrunk, the president’s anger grew. Phone calls between the two men were increasingly turned into shouting matches, according to one of the officials and one other senior official not authorized to discuss private conversations. Biden told confidants that he did not believe his Israeli counterpart wanted a cease-fire deal, arguing that Netanyahu was trying to perpetuate the conflict to save his political future and assist Trump in November’s election, the officials said."

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[-] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 57 points 2 months ago

He's tried (almost) nothing and he's all out of ideas. He's most definitely not even tested the limits of his influence over Israel. He just doesn't want that influence to involve anything more serious than "c'mon bucko!".

[-] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 31 points 2 months ago

Yeah, Imagine how different Israeli aggression would be if the flow of American Money and Weapons stopped.

But he doesnt want to do that, because Israel holds some weird fucking power over America.

[-] sirboozebum@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago

It's called AIPAC.

Their lobbying power is perfectly legal and immense.

[-] Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

It's also all the weapons producers who are making money like they won the lotto selling those weapons. They have a ton of influence as well.

[-] sirboozebum@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

I agree but they are not as influential as AIPAC regarding supporting the mass punishment and murder of civilians in the middle east.

Weapons manufacturers will be busy for years resupplying stocks that were provided to Ukraine.

[-] Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

I'm not sure which has the stronger lobby. But even 1 of them by itself would probably been enough to keep US support for suppling Isreal going in the government.

[-] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago

It gotta take something more than a lobbying group to get America to offer up its tongue for use as TP, cause thats basically the stage that America is at with regards to servicing Israel.

[-] sirboozebum@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

Any politician that stands up to AIPAC gets millions (if not tens of millions) raised for their political opponents.

The vast majority of politicians are far too frightened to anger this lobby in an election year.

[-] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 months ago

Didn't one politician this year try to stand up to AIPAC and end up losing to an incredibly well-funded opponent? If so it would definitely have a chilling effect.

[-] sirboozebum@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago

They have spent $100 million dollars this cycle.

[-] IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

Not like they have bilateral signed and legally binding defense pacts or anything.

I'm not saying the US shouldn't be twisting those levels levers and at least warning of decreased investment (which I believe is probably going on now for a few months privately) but immediately breaking ties, probably illegally breaking a defense treaty, and creating an immediate and huge power vacuum doesn't seem like it's going to save any more lives. I'd guess it would embolden Iran and full on war rather than this intensifying skirmishes would be happening.

You don't turn around 75 years of investment on a dime.

I personally think there needs to be stabilization and the US/NATO work on improving relations with iran using divestment with Israel as the carrot over the next 10 years. Work to re-establish the nuclear deal and start to pull money from Israel over time.

[-] archomrade@midwest.social 16 points 2 months ago

Not like they have bilateral signed and legally binding defense pacts or anything.

It's not like the US has laws banning the delivery of weapons to states that are guilty of breaking humanitarian law, either

[-] IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world -3 points 2 months ago

Yep, international law be like that sometimes. It's complicated.

[-] archomrade@midwest.social 11 points 2 months ago

It's actually extremely uncomplicated in this case. That's why they had to present counterfactual evidence to congress to evade the explicit restrictions spelled out by the law.

I swear there was actually a name for that.... pur.... purge.... perjury? Is it perjury? Wow i'm having some wild dejavu, has this happened before?

[-] IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world -5 points 2 months ago

You'll have to be more specific. I'm not sure what you're talking about.

[-] archomrade@midwest.social 2 points 2 months ago

In fairness to you it has happened quite a few times.

Here's the one i'm referring to, though.

[-] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago

It's neat how it's always complicated in favor of things that centrists want to do.

[-] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 13 points 2 months ago

Yeah, you're right.

It'd totally be uncouth to step in and do anything to prevent the slaughter of tens of thousands, if not more, innocent civilians.

We should really drag it out and make no substantive efforts until Israel's genocide is complete, Then we can "punish" them by giving them all the land they've cleansed.

[-] IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world -3 points 2 months ago

I do think that more Palestinians will die if Iran and Israel go to full scale war.

[-] archomrade@midwest.social 6 points 2 months ago

More Palestinians will also die if Iran and Israel don't go to full scale war, especially if the western world keeps shrugging their shoulders as Israel keeps expanding the conflict unilaterally.

[-] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 months ago

There's not like a super court states can sue each other in to enforce a treaty. It's just words. We can do whatever we want and people will keep making treaties with us because we're the superpower and most of them agree it's genocide.

[-] IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago

Oh okay I guess things like the Iran treaty being broken Willy nilly is good for politics.

[-] cabbage@piefed.social 33 points 2 months ago

Initially I was convinced Biden had the right intentions, and somehow I still like to believe he does. But his political weakness in this conflict is inexcusable, and will hang as a dark cloud over his legacy.

[-] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 18 points 2 months ago

Biden has never attempted to exercise influence over Israel.

[-] agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

He absolutely attempted, but Congress firmly asserted their authority in the matter.

[-] AfricanExpansionist@lemmy.ml 17 points 2 months ago

Biden tried so hard to stop it, he even made sure to keep sending guns to Netanyahu

[-] DancingBear@midwest.social 7 points 2 months ago

When the genocide first started, Biden really put his foot down and immediately gave Israel 26 billion dollars.

When that didn’t work he told us he was working on a peace treaty.

Netanyahu told Biden to fuck off and that Israel will kill whoever it wants.

That apparently really made Biden angry, so he offered them a few more Billions in aid. He was so angry he bypassed congress to fast track these billions, that’s how angry he was.

[-] Randomgal@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 months ago

But he made an angry phone call! What else can you expect from one of the most powerful officers in the world?

[-] agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

Didn't he try to block shipments to Israel back in May, but Congress smacked that down saying that they're the ones who make that decision?

[-] skulblaka@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

That is correct. Good luck having anyone tell you about it though, it's all "genocide Joe" all the way down.

[-] Sundial@lemm.ee 9 points 2 months ago

Phone calls between the two men were increasingly turned into shouting matches, according to one of the officials and one other senior official not authorized to discuss private conversations. Biden told confidants that he did not believe his Israeli counterpart wanted a cease-fire deal, arguing that Netanyahu was trying to perpetuate the conflict to save his political future and assist Trump in November’s election, the officials said."

Assuming that this is true and the fact that Biden did absolutely nothing to stop this just goes to show you how weak of a man he is. He's president of the richest country and commander in chief to the most powerful military in human history. If all it takes is political influence from one little colony halfway around the world to lose control of a situation when you can literally play the deck in your favor then you're not a strong leader. You're just spineless.

[-] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Also, the mental gymnastics are becoming a bit absurd at this point.

[-] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

It would take Biden exactly I've phonecall to rein in Netanyahu. Israel cannot exist without US military aid and everybody knows that.

this post was submitted on 03 Oct 2024
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