Despite the escalating war in Lebanon and Iran's missile attack on Israel last week, President Joe Biden spoke directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday for the first time since August.
Biden has made no secret of his distaste for Israeli leaders, and the White House was furious last month when Netanyahu ordered an airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah after Biden proposed a ceasefire. .
Israeli officials were irritated with the Biden administration last week after the United States appeared to leak Israel's plans for a ground invasion of Lebanon. Israel said Netanyahu's reluctance to share military details with Biden was justified.
Israel's Security Cabinet has reportedly decided to coordinate with the United States on the response to Iranian missile attacks. However, there was no direct contact with the Biden administration except through military channels.
The latest uproar occurred earlier this week, when Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was scheduled to leave for the United States for talks in Washington. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Biden to cancel the visit until he agreed to talks.
Mr. Biden did not relent and met with Prime Minister Netanyahu on Wednesday. According to The conversation lasted 50 minutes and included Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running to replace Biden in the upcoming election, according to the Times of Israel.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken also participated in the call, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. There was no immediate communication from the Israeli government or the White House about what was said.
update: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the call lasted 30 minutes and was “direct” and “productive.” She said the details of the call would be released by the White House.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM PT) on Sirius XM Patriot. he is the author of Agenda: What should President Trump do in his first 100 days?available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of Trumpian Virtues: Lessons and Legacy of the Donald Trump Presidencynow available on Audible. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpolak.
