Falcon powers – American officials say the new dispute between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Biden administration is impeding U.S.-Israeli diplomatic efforts to calm tensions on the Lebanese border and avoid war with Hezbollah, according to the Axios website.
According to reports, three Biden administration officials said they are concerned that Netanyahu’s actions are creating distance between the allies, and as a result, further eroding Israel’s deterrence in the region, especially in the eyes of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Hezbollah.
A senior U.S. official said: “It’s hard to understand how a video like the one Netanyahu released on Tuesday helps with deterrence. There’s nothing better than telling Hezbollah that the United States is withholding weapons from Israel, which is a lie, to embolden them.”
On Wednesday, Nasrallah said the group could still invade the northern areas occupied by Israel if the conflict escalates. The Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Herzi Halevi, said during a visit to the northern border that the Israeli army still has capabilities that Hezbollah does not know about, and added that “the enemy will face these capabilities at the right time.”
Netanyahu, speaking in English in a video on Tuesday, said it was “simply unreasonable” for the administration in recent months to block arms and ammunition from Israel.
Publicly, the White House expressed its bewilderment. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre pointed out that only one arms shipment has been halted since the start of the war, while billions of dollars worth of weapons have flowed in without hindrance.
She said, “We really don’t know what he’s talking about.”
Privately, the Biden team was angry and shocked by Netanyahu’s ingratitude. Some U.S. officials who watched Netanyahu’s video said the prime minister appeared “troubled.”
Axios reported that the office of the Israeli Prime Minister did not comment on this story.
As a result, the White House decided to cancel a high-level U.S.-Israeli meeting on Iran and Lebanon scheduled for Thursday, according to U.S. officials.
Separately, Netanyahu met on Wednesday with a bipartisan congressional delegation led by Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD).
