Tug of war

Biden just wants this over, but Netanyahu and Hamas have other ideas

- Jonathan Freedland

Beware cornering a US president anxious about re-election. Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly ignored that advice in his dealings with Joe Biden, and last week his country learned the price.

It came in the revelation that Biden had withheld the supply of about 3,500 bombs, refusing to let US munitions play a part in an Israeli assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have sought refuge. The president was at pains to say he was not giving up his "ironclad" commitment to Israel. Instead, it was just the specific, long-threatened Rafah operation that he would not back with weapons. To understand why this is such a big deal, remind yourself of the people and the countries involved. The US is Israel's most crucial ally.

But look at the state of things now. Biden has become the first US president in more than four decades to deny Israel military aid in this way. And why has he done it? Because, under Netanyahu, a growing section of the US public is souring on Israel as never before.