Biden thinks Netanyahu is FINISHED – and will be replaced as Israeli PM in months after first phase of war with Hamas is over

Joe Biden’s aides believe Benjamin Netanyahu’s days as Israel’s prime minister are numbered, according to a report on Wednesday, and are keeping a close eye on his potential successors.

Biden has told Netanyahu to think about the lessons he wants to pass on to his successors. Politics reported.

A current US official told the site that the shocking intelligence failure that allowed Hamas to attack, and unrest in some quarters over the massive loss of life in Gaza, had left Netanyahu seriously weakened.

The official said some believed Netanyahu could leave office within months once the initial response to Gaza is over.

“There will have to be a reckoning within Israeli society over what happened,” the official said. “Ultimately, the bill remains on the Prime Minister’s desk.”

Netanyahu appeared to acknowledge that on Saturday, when he tweeted late in the evening that his intelligence services had failed him by failing to detect the long-planned terror attack.

Hours later, he deleted the tweet and apologized — a rare move for Netanyahu, and a sign that he is on shaky ground.

An assessment of intelligence shortcomings is likely to cause Netanyahu more headaches, and a US report could be even more damning, Politico reported.

The American president has known Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, for decades.

The relationship between the two is not particularly close: Netanyahu was a strong supporter of Donald Trump and a family friend of Jared Kushner, and was critical of Barack Obama and Biden’s overtures toward Iran.

The Biden administration, in turn, believes that more efforts should be made to work toward a two-state solution, and is baffled by Netanyahu’s autocratic tendencies and highly controversial attempts to reshape the judiciary.

“They know this is who they have to work with now, and no one has suddenly had an epiphany about who they are dealing with,” said a person familiar with the administration’s thinking about Israel.

But Biden has been solid in his support for Netanyahu after the October 7 terror attack, when he visited Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on October 18 in a strong demonstration of the US position.

After that visit, however, the issue of Netanyahu’s shaky political control was discussed. Politics reported.

Two senior administration officials told Politico that the topic came up during White House meetings attended by Biden.

Netanyahu’s support in the polls has fallen since the October 7 attacks.

a Times of Israel an October 13 poll showed a clear preference for Netanyahu’s rival, Benny Gantz, who leads the country: 48 percent want the former defense minister, compared to 29 percent for the current prime minister.

The head of the ID, Herzi Halevi, had an approval rating of 57 percent, while Defense Minister Yoav Gallant received 54 percent of support.

Netanyahu received only 42 percent of support.

U.S. officials are in contact with Gantz and Gallant, both members of Netanyahu’s war cabinet, plus Naftali Bennett, a former prime minister; and Yair Lapid, an opposition leader and former prime minister.

Biden urged Netanyahu during his visit to Tel Aviv to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza as much as possible, and White House concerns about the rising death toll in Gaza have only increased.

U.S. officials have warned publicly and privately that Israel must have a clear military objective and a plan for what happens if the country succeeds in ousting Hamas.

They have warned Netanyahu to learn the lessons from the United States’ overthrow of Iraqi and Afghan rulers.

“Even the best-case scenario for Israel in this war would likely not keep Netanyahu in power, because the horrors of the October 7 terrorist attack will remain fresh, and because so many Israelis already attribute the lack of security directly to Netanyahu’s policies.” , he said. Hagar Chemali, former National Security Council and Treasury official in the Obama administration.

“Conversely, I still believe that Netanyahu is on his way out, even if the war continues or new fronts open up, because Israelis are already publicly questioning whether he is really the right person not just to win this particular battle against Hamas , but also to win the broader battle against Hamas. war for a peaceful and secure Israel.”

A National Security Council spokesperson denied that Netanyahu’s future was mentioned, saying the topic “has not been discussed by the president and is not being discussed.”

Adrienne Watson added: “Our focus is on the immediate crisis.”

The Israeli embassy in Washington DC denied Politico’s story.

“In recent weeks, the internal political scenario reported in this article has not been discussed at any time in conversations between President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu,” a spokesperson said.