The White House canceled a high-level U.S.-Israel meeting on Iran that was scheduled for Thursday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video on Tuesday claiming the U.S. was withholding military aid, two U.S. officials tell Axios.
President Biden's top advisers were enraged by the video — a message U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein delivered personally to Netanyahu in a meeting hours after it was published, two U.S. and Israeli sources say.
Then the White House decided to go a step farther by canceling Thursday's meeting.
"This decision makes it clear that there are consequences for pulling such stunts," a U.S. official said.
"The Americans are fuming. Bibi's video made a lot of damage," a senior Israeli official said, using a nickname for Netanyahu.
Some Israeli officials were already en route to Washington when the meeting was cancelled.Two U.S. officials told Axios the meeting was canceled to send a message about the video. A third claimed the meeting was postponed rather than canceled, due to a scheduling issue.
In public, the White House expressed bafflement. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre noted that only one weapons shipment had been paused since the war began, while billions of dollars of weapons had flowed unimpeded.
"We genuinely do not know what he is talking about," she said.In private, Biden's team was angry and shocked by Netanyahu's ingratitude, according to one U.S. official.
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@CulturedGeckoRepublican2yrs2Y
America has attempted a coup in israel it hasn’t worked. I thought they didn’t know anything about netanyahus comments? Israel is fine walking alone.
@Un1onHannahSocialist2yrs2Y
Oh please you couldnt survive a single night without us.
Ungrateful PoS.
@EnviousF4irTradeGreen2yrs2Y
Then quit asking for our money and weapons
@S0cialistEddieDemocrat2yrs2Y
Israel so ungrateful.
@AboardSaltRepublican2yrs2Y
The United States should be grateful to Israel for fighting battles that the United States is funding via billions of dollars to Iran. Screw Biden.
@S0cialistEddieDemocrat2yrs2Y
Who is sending who billions and weapons again? Are Israeli aircraft carriers ensuring our safety?
@AboardSaltRepublican2yrs2Y
Biden is not a dictator. Congress appropriated that money. It’s not Biden’s to withhold. We are not a dictatorship & last I checked the majority of Americans hate Biden.
@S0cialistEddieDemocrat2yrs2Y
Again, sounds like Israel should be grateful for the charity it receives.
Oh, Obama’s games. He used to have Secretary of State Hilary Clinton as a dedicated person to yell at Netanyahu and plot how Palestinians can embarrass Israel.
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