Netanyahu under scrutiny after U-turn on Rafah talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to send a high-profile delegation to the US to discuss military operations in Gaza, in a dramatic about-turn.
The Israeli leader had cancelled the delegation’s trip scheduled for this week, angered by the US’s vote on a UN ceasefire resolution.
The visit is expected to address Washington’s concerns about Israeli plans to launch an offensive in Rafah, the southern Gaza city where about 1.5 million Palestinians have taken refuge.
There are fears within the international community that an Israeli operation there would have a catastrophic civilian toll and worsen Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.
Mr Netanyahu is expected to send Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and national security adviser Taichi Hanegbi, Axios reported.
“We are now working on a convenient date,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who described the discussions as “urgent”.
Mr Netanyahu’s cancellation of Monday’s trip was viewed as a new low point in the plummeting relations between him and US President Joe Biden, who had specifically requested the delegation come to the US.
Washington is Israel’s most important ally by far and has supported its war in Gaza despite mounting global opposition.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s decision came after the US chose not to veto a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza war.
This marked a significant break from Washington’s policy of blocking any attempts to condemn Israel at the UN.
Mr Netanyahu later said he cancelled the trip to send a message to Hamas. The move was widely interpreted in the Israeli media as an attempt to appeal to his domestic supporters, by casting the prime minister as strong enough to stand up to Mr Biden.
Mr Netanyahu says a largescale operation in Rafah is needed to destroy Hamas and rescue about 130 Israeli hostages who remain in captivity.
Reports emerged on Wednesday that Israeli military officials had told Egyptian counterparts that Israel was preparing to invade Rafah, which borders Egypt, in midApril or early May.
Cairo, also a close US ally, fears that such an operation could push Gazans into its territory. President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has repeatedly warned that the expulsion of Palestinians into Egypt is a red line and will not be tolerated.
The chaos over the delegation’s visit comes amid mounting domestic political pressure on Mr Netanyahu, as partners in his coalition are reportedly growing increasingly frustrated with the prime minister’s approach to the war.
War cabinet minister Benny Gantz, a former electoral rival of Mr Netanyahu, on Monday reiterated his threat to leave the government if an agreement is not reached to end military service exemptions for Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.
Mr Netanyahu is also juggling a sensitive dispute over the possible terms of a hostage exchange with Hamas, as negotiations come to a head.
Protests in support of the hostages are gaining momentum in Israel, but far-right sections of the government fear that a release deal could give too many concessions to Hamas and hurt the war effort.
Despite Mr Netanyahu’s anger towards Washington, senior Israeli officials continue to stress the importance of US-Israel relations.
President Isaac Herzog said on Thursday that “the [US] has no greater friend than Israel, and Israel has no greater friend than the United States of America”.