Biden 'corners' Bibi at the UN, opening deep rift with ally

The relationship between Israel and the Biden administration has hit its lowest point since the start of the Gaza war, after the US abstained from a United Nations Security Council vote on Monday calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office lashed out at the US after it decided not to use its veto power, saying the move was a “clear retreat from the consistent position of the US" and that it “gives Hamas hope”, amid flagging negotiations in Doha, Qatar, to reach a hostage deal.

Analysts predict this could be just the start of greater US-Israel tensions, as Netanyahu vows to press ahead with an invasion of Rafah despite US warnings, amid a fight for his domestic political survival.

“This is very much Bibi-like,” Merissa Khurma, director of the Middle East programme at the Wilson Center, told Middle East Eye.

“He doesn’t like to be cornered and he will continue to push back.”

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War on Gaza: Biden 'corners' Bibi at the UN, opening deep rift with ally