Biden warns Israel it could lose 'heavy bombs' if it expands assault on Gaza
Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have developed a complicated relationship, and their ties have reached a new low point as Biden holds off on delivering heavy bombs to Israel. Netanyahu has brushed off Biden's warnings and vowed to continue with his operations. The relationship between the two leaders has been strained multiple times over differences in opinion regarding military actions in the Middle East.
The information provided suggests that Biden and Netanyahu have known each other for a long time since Biden was a young senator and Netanyahu was a senior official in Israel's embassy in Washington. They have hit rough spots in the past, including differences over Israel building settlements in the West Bank during Barack Obama's administration when Biden was vice president. They also vehemently opposed Biden's push to resurrect the Iran nuclear deal sealed by Obama and scrapped by Donald Trump.
According to the information, Biden and Netanyahu's relationship had manageable differences despite their ideological differences. Still, the relationship has reached a new low as Biden holds off on delivering heavy bombs to Israel and warns that the provision of artillery and other weaponry could also be suspended if Netanyahu moves forward with a wide-scale operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Biden's relationship with Muslim American voters could also take a hit as a large voting bloc in the battleground state of Michigan threatens to withhold their votes in November to protest his administration's handling of the war. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Biden ally who has been frustrated by the administration's handling of the war, has also called on Biden to suspend offensive weaponry to Israel.
It is not clear if Biden and Netanyahu's relationship can recover from this point, as Biden is expected to run for reelection in 2024. This escalation in tension could also impact Biden's chances of winning the election.