U.S. officials working with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are wondering if he is still really running affairs in Israel, the American website Politico reported today.
Netanyahu: We must not stop the war until we achieve all our goals | GPO
In an analyst article titled "The U.S. Faces an Israeli Leader Who Is Losing Control," the website's senior foreign correspondent, Nahal Tousi, claimed that the Israeli leader is trying to stay in office and avoid jail time on corruption charges – two tasks that have made him dependent on the demands of far-right representatives in his government. They are also the ones, according to the article, that make it difficult for Netanyahu to accept American proposals regarding dealing with Gaza.
"It's not always clear who's driving Qatar in Israel," a senior U.S. official familiar with the contacts between Washington and Jerusalem told Politico. "There were cases where Netanyahu hinted and even said explicitly: 'My hands are tied, I have a coalition, it's not me.'"
Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former Middle East analyst at the State Department, told Politico that "Netanyahu seems increasingly desperate." "This is an example of a leader who linked his personal political survival to what he saw as protecting the interests of his country. It's a terrible combination and it leads to terrible decision-making."
U.S. officials told Politico that Netanyahu's chances of remaining in power will be higher the longer the war drags on.
In closed conversations, White House officials say Netanyahu's "political shelf life is limited." Nor have they forgotten how, in their opinion, Netanyahu "belittled Obama and ingratiated himself with Trump," taking advantage of internal American rifts. At the same time, they are not giving up on him and government representatives are in regular contact with the prime minister and his team. At least 10 senior administration officials, including the president himself, have visited Israel twice since the Oct. 7 massacre. "Some in the US are already calling these visits bi-sitting," the commentator wrote.
A senior Israeli official told Politico: "Netanyahu is as determined as ever and is leading the war with skill and in accordance with the law. We appreciate President Biden's support for Israel and its leader."
Tosi even says that from Washington's point of view, the question was right to ignore Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir. In response, Leo was adamant. They argue that both are more extreme and far less pragmatic than Netanyahu. "These are not tactical disagreements based on perceptions or even interests," one of the officials said. "They act out of ideology and even fanaticism. That's why I'm not impressed by the argument that if we had just sat down with them for a glass of kosher wine, we would have bridged the gaps." Another official said: "Bibi, although weak and problematic on a personal level, is not a crazy ideologue like these two guys." Smotrich's aide declined to respond to Politico's request for comment, while Ben-Gvir's aide did not respond to the site's request at all.
The prominent column in Polico joins a scathing editorial in The Economist last week. One of the world's most influential newspapers argued that Israel needs new leadership. "Netanyahu is failing to conduct the war, it's time to fire him," read the headline.
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