From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, November 1, 2023
Report: Biden indicated to Netanyahu he believes his days in office are numbered
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US President Joe Biden and his aides reportedly believe that Benjamin Netanyahu’s days as Israel’s prime minister are numbered in the fallout of the war in Gaza.
Biden has even conveyed this sentiment to the prime minister, suggesting to Netanyahu during the president’s wartime visit to Israel last month that the premier think about lessons he’d want to relay to his successor, Politico reports, citing two senior administration officials.
A third US official says that the expectation within the administration is that Netanyahu would only be able to remain in power for a few more months or until the early phase of Israel’s ground incursion into Gaza ends. However, all officials acknowledged the volatility of Israeli politics, which serves as a caveat to their speculations.
As the US begins to think about a post-Netanyahu scenario, its officials have held talks with National Unity chair Benny Gantz, who joined the government after the war’s outbreak; as well as Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and former prime minister Naftali Bennett, a former US official tells Politico.
The two senior Biden officials say the administration fears Netanyahu may be linking his own political future to the war and might move to escalate the conflict at some point.
The Times of Israel Community.