Israeli media discussed developments in the recent tension between the administration of US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in addition to the escalation on the northern front with Lebanon.
Channel 13 reported that the Israeli Prime Minister continues to clash with the American administration, and there is a clear escalation in the American tone towards him.
Neria Kraus, the channel’s correspondent in the United States, said, “The White House sent a firm message, after the incomprehensible and very disappointing video from the point of view of the Americans,” noting that White House spokesman John Kirby held a briefing for journalists, and said that “the administration expressed “She told Netanyahu several times to protest his statements. This video is very disturbing.” He added, “The Americans are unable to understand why Netanyahu made inaccurate statements.”
Netanyahu had criticized the Biden administration in a video recording, and stated that it was unreasonable for Washington to withhold weapons and ammunition from Israel during the past months.
Mutual escalation
Regarding the possibility of war breaking out with Lebanon, the former head of the Military Intelligence Division, Amos Yadlin, told Channel 12 that this is related to three things: “What will happen in Gaza? And what will happen in Washington?”
The third matter, according to Yadlin, is: “To what extent will Hassan Nasrallah go beyond his illusions that he is able to occupy the Galilee, and to achieve what he said in his speech, even if he will regret it, but late, as he regretted in 2006?”
As for Tamir Hayman, head of the Institute for National Security Research at Tel Aviv University, he suggested the possibility of Israel retreating from entering into a war with Lebanese Hezbollah, and said, “Israel is escalating assassination operations on the northern front, and Hezbollah is escalating, and the problem is that everyone has reached a major stage.” “It requires escalating messages directed to awareness.”
From the point of view of the Israeli spokesman, “the third party, namely the United States, which believes that the war in Lebanon is the worst that could happen before the elections, will do everything in its power to prevent that from happening.”
He added, “The Americans sent an aircraft carrier to the region, sent special envoy Amos Hockstein, and leaked information questioning the capabilities of Iron Dome… all with the aim of cooling the situation and ensuring its stability until the elections.”
On the other hand, Channel 12 reported that in order to finance the war, there is a tendency to pay for it through the budget, including “raising the value-added tax by 1%, reducing child allowances (this is a very big political mine), and freezing salary increases in the public sector.”
