New Book Reveals Tense White House Exchanges Over Israel's War Response

Revelations from a new book by former White House Middle East Coordinator Brett McGurk detail intense disagreements between then-US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding Israel's response to the April 2024 Iranian attack. McGurk's book, "Brink," reveals that after Iran's unprecedented missile and drone barrage, Biden told his team, "I just saved his ass, now he has to stop." Biden then urged Netanyahu not to retaliate, advising him to "take the win." However, Netanyahu remained resolute, telling Biden, "We need to teach these crazy people a lesson," and emphasizing Israel's need to respond to the direct attack.

Further details expose internal White House pressure. Following an attack on a World Central Kitchen aid convoy, First Lady Jill Biden reportedly left a note for her husband on his bathroom mirror stating, "Bibi must stop." This sentiment contributed to a heated phone call where Biden threatened to cut off arms shipments to Israel. McGurk also includes a candid admission that Biden's subsequent decision to halt shipments of certain heavy bombs to the IDF was a strategic error. This move, McGurk writes, signaled weakness, emboldened Hamas to believe it could win the conflict, and made the terror group more intransigent in ceasefire and hostage negotiations.

Diplomatically, McGurk discloses that the ceasefire and hostage release agreement finalized in the final days of the Biden administration would not have been reached without the direct involvement of President-elect Donald Trump and his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who coordinated with the outgoing team to pressure parties into accepting the framework.

These new accounts supplement earlier reports from McGurk's book published in The Atlantic, which described Biden reaching a boiling point, his face turning red, and him exclaiming to Netanyahu, "Bibi, what the hell are you doing? Do you think I'm Santa Claus? There's no Santa in Israel, buddy." Despite the unprecedented pressure from Washington, Netanyahu's firm stance on red lines ultimately dictated the course of Israel's security operations, with the Prime Minister asserting Israel would defend itself alone if necessary.