Axios: Biden Is 'Running Out' of Patience With Netanyahu as War Reaches 100th Day

We surprised ourselves by writing a handful of posts praising President Joe Biden for his firm stance with Israel in the days following October 7. But according to sources, Biden is running out of patience with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu has made it clear that the IDF is in Gaza to finish the job of eliminating Hamas.

Back in December, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told Netanyahu that Israel needed to "transition to the next lower intensity phase in a matter of weeks, not months." Israel needed to wrap up its war, as the issue was unpopular with Biden's base. As we reported, the "March for Gaza" in D.C. got a bit out of hand over the weekend, with Hamas sympathizers trying to scale the gates around the White House. It looked like an insurrection to us.

As Biden tried to reclaim the black vote by giving a speech at the Mother Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, last week, the president was interrupted by pro-Hamas protesters chanting "Ceasefire now." Biden assured them that he was "quietly working" with the Israeli government, doing all that he could do, to get Israel significantly out of Gaza.

Now a source tells Axios that Biden is running out of patience with Netanyahu as the war on Hamas reaches the 100-day mark.

New: Biden is frustrated and "running out" of patience with Netanyahu as Gaza war hits 100 days, U.S. officials tell me. My story on @axios https://t.co/Fyj9hRcc3P
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) January 14, 2024

Barak Ravid reports:

President Biden and other senior U.S. officials are becoming increasingly frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rejection of most of the administration's recent requests related to the war in Gaza, four U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the issue told Axios.
Why it matters: Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack 100 days ago, Biden has given Israel his full backing, with unprecedented military and diplomatic support, even while taking a political hit from part of his base in an election year. That support has largely continued publicly, but behind the scenes, there are growing signs that Biden is losing his patience, the U.S. officials said.
"The situation sucks and we are stuck. The president's patience is running out," one U.S. official told Axios.
"At every juncture, Netanyahu has given Biden the finger," Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who has been in close contact with U.S. officials about the war, told Axios. "They are pleading with the Netanyahu coalition, but getting slapped in the face over and over again."