Biden accuses Netanyahu of ‘bullsh*tting’ him over hostage deal negotiations in ‘tough’ phone call

PM clashes with security chiefs, Hamas suspends talks to choose Haniyeh successor

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The recent phone call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden was much more adversarial than initially reported, as Biden reportedly charged at Netanyahu to “stop bullshitting” him over the hostage deal negotiations, according to Israel's Channel 12 news.

Biden reportedly felt Netanyahu had blindsided him with the alleged Israeli assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday, despite assuring him just days before that he intended to proceed with talks over the hostage deal and ceasefire in the over 9-month-long war in Gaza.

The Channel 12 report, which didn’t cite its sources, added that Biden implicitly threatened to withdraw U.S. support for Israel in the face of the expected Iranian retaliation, saying, “Don’t take the president for granted.”

According to the New York Times, another U.S. official called the conversation “heated,” but added that Netanyahu rejected Biden’s charge that the death of Haniyeh would derail negotiations.

Biden reiterated his discontent with Netanyahu and concern over the explosive situation in the region later on Thursday. Speaking with reporters, he said he was “very concerned about it.”

“I had a very direct meeting with the prime minister today – very direct. We have the basis for a ceasefire. He should move on it and they should move on it now.” When asked about the consequences of Haniyeh’s death, Biden said, “It’s not helped. That’s all I’m going to say right now.”

In Netanyahu’s view, Haniyeh’s death would ultimately strengthen Israel’s negotiating position by increasing the pressure on the terror group, an Israeli official told the NYT.

Incidentally, this was confirmed by a Channel 12 report regarding a contentious meeting between Netanyahu and Israeli security chiefs. Despite disagreements among security officials, they reportedly reached a consensus that the elimination of Haniyeh and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr had created an opportunity to leverage this momentum to advance peace talks.

While Hamas has temporarily halted talks, it stated that this pause is to allow time to select a successor for Haniyeh. According to the Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat, a decision is expected within a few days.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) responded to reports about the tense phone call with Biden by saying Netanyahu “does not intervene in American politics and will work with whoever is elected president, and expects the Americans to also not intervene in Israeli politics.”

According to the British newspaper, The Telegraph, Netanyahu has been emboldened to act against Iran following Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race, as this has reduced his need to consider U.S. internal politics in his foreign policy decisions.

Biden’s “true agenda is to support Israel fully. And he has done so for decades,” an Israeli official told the Telegraph. “Netanyahu knows this, which is why he’s being more bold and feels confident that he can attack Israel’s enemies and still have the full support of the US.”

Biden’s concerns that Netanyahu’s actions were harming the hostage deal negotiations were seemingly echoed by Israel’s security chiefs, who, again, clashed with the prime minister in a meeting last Wednesday, according to Channel 12.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief Herzi Halevi accused Netanyahu of insisting on new terms to derail the talks. Netanyahu retorted that it was Hamas, not him, who was introducing new demands.

“There is no security reason to delay the deal. Since we’re speaking candidly, I am telling you that you are making considerations that are not beneficial to the matter,” the report quoted Gallant as saying.

“Regarding Philadelphi [Corridor], I do not recommend that we turn it into an obstacle or something that prevents us from bringing home from [Gaza] 30 people in the first stage [of the deal], half of them women,” Halevi reportedly added.

“The leaks and false briefings by unknown parties in the media create a false representation to the public,” the PMO told KAN on Saturday evening. The PMO also reported that Shin Bet (security) chief Ronen Bar also accused Netanyahu of “making changes” to Israel’s proposed deal outline.

“While Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to the outline, Hamas is trying to introduce dozens of changes which effectively cancel it,” the PMO stressed, adding he had “not added anything to the outline and continues to adhere to the basic conditions for Israel’s security.”

“Whoever offers to give in to Hamas’s demands in order to receive applause in [television] studios harms the chances for the release of the hostages and returns us to the reality of October 6,” the PMO stated.

Meanwhile, the talks resumed on Saturday evening with a high-level Israeli delegation in Cairo, including Bar, Mossad Director David Barnea and Maj.-Gen. Ghassan Alian, head of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), to meet Egyptian Intelligence head Abbas Kamel and senior military officials.