The Biden administration is attempting to overthrow Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, a senior Israeli political official said on Tuesday night.
“We expect our friends to act to overthrow the terror regime of Hamas and not the elected government in Israel,” the official said, in reaction to the annual Threat Assessment report which warned that Netanyahu’s coalition could be replaced by a more moderate one.
“Netanyahu’s viability as [a] leader as well as his governing collation of far-right and ultra-orthodox parties that pursue hardline policies on Palestinian and security issues may be in doubt,” the US said in the report.
“Distrust of Netanyahu’s ability to rule has deepened and broadened across the public from its already high levels before the war,” it stated.
“We expect large protests demanding his resignation and new elections. A different, more moderate government is a possibility,” the report stated.
The senior official retorted that “Israeli citizens, and not anyone else, elect the prime minister. Israel is not a protectorate of the US but an independent and democratic country whose citizens are the ones who choose the government.”
Rift between Netanyahu, Biden grows
The 41-page report was compiled in February and published only on March 11, as a diplomatic feud has grown between Netanyahu and Biden over Netanyahu's Gaza policies.
It began in earnest on Thursday when Biden was overheard saying that there needs to be a “come to Jesus meeting” with Netanyahu. It was followed by his comments to MSNBC on Sunday in which he stated that Netanyahu’s policies were harming Israel.
The comments, which fell in line with those in the report, come as Biden’s reelection campaign is heating up, with voters in the left flank of the Democratic Party accusing the President of supporting genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Attacks against Netanyahu, allow Biden to cater to voters opposed to the war while allowing him to maintain his strong support for Israel and its people.
In a virtual address to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Netanyahu said on Tuesday, “I deeply appreciate, the support we've received from President Biden and the administration and I hope it will continue.”