Biden's Fury at Netanyahu Revealed in New Book

A new book by Brett McGurk, President Biden's senior advisor for the Middle East, details significant tensions between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war in Gaza. McGurk recounts an incident in the spring of 2024 where Biden, angered by Netanyahu's conduct of the war, was on the verge of completely distancing the U.S. from the conflict and halting weapons shipments.

During a phone call, Biden reportedly demanded to know, "Bibi, what the hell are you doing?" and exclaimed, "Do you think I'm Santa Claus? There's no Santa Claus in Israel, buddy." This exchange marked a peak in the strained relationship between the two leaders over the preceding 15 months of Biden's presidency. McGurk's book, "Brink," details the administration's efforts to manage the war from the October 7th Hamas attack to a ceasefire and hostage release agreement near the end of Biden's term.

The Gaza situation deeply troubled Biden, drawing criticism from both the left for not restraining Netanyahu enough and from the right for attempting to do so. McGurk describes the crisis as the worst of Biden's career. McGurk himself experienced personal consequences, developing a hernia from the stress and travel involved in his role.

Spring 2024 was a critical period, with phone calls between Biden and Netanyahu dropping from 20 in the last quarter of 2023 to just two in the first quarter of 2024. Biden grew increasingly concerned about civilian casualties and the delivery of humanitarian aid. A turning point was the April 1st Israeli airstrike that killed seven World Central Kitchen employees. First Lady Jill Biden reportedly left a note for her husband saying, "Nat must stop."

Following the WCK incident, Biden was reportedly "fed up" and ready to end support for Israel. While some advisors urged Biden to threaten a cutoff of aid, CIA Director William Burns advocated for continued support to facilitate a Hamas deal for hostage release. McGurk described Biden's phone call with Netanyahu as intensely angry, with Biden stating he could end military aid to Israel with a "stroke of a pen." He cut off Netanyahu's explanations, saying, "I don't want to hear it, Bibi."

Despite these disagreements, McGurk notes that no single event fractured the relationship. Netanyahu, however, reportedly blamed Biden following a speech by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer calling for new elections in Israel. Biden also briefly paused shipments of heavy bombs to Israel, a move McGurk believes emboldened Hamas. Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel in April, however, shifted Biden's focus. Despite his frustration with Netanyahu, Biden immediately sided with Israel against the Iranian threat. After the attack was largely intercepted, Biden told his team he would tell Netanyahu, "I just saved his ass, that's what I'll tell him. Let's end it there," though National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan suggested a more diplomatic approach.

McGurk described ceasefire negotiations as a Sisyphean task. A deal was eventually reached shortly before Biden left office, with McGurk acknowledging the crucial roles of Donald Trump and Steve Witkoff, while emphasizing the groundwork laid by the Biden administration.