Alon Pinkas, a former senior Israeli diplomat, well-plugged into Washington, tells us that a frustrated White House finally has "had enough".The rupture with Netanyahu is complete:
The Prime Minister does not comport himself as 'an U.S. ally' should; he severely criticises Biden's Middle East policies, and now the United States has come to understand this fact.Biden cannot afford any further Israel-affects to jeopardise his electoral campaign, and so - as his State of the Union Speech makes clear - he will double-down on misconstrued policy frameworks for both Israel and Ukraine.
So what does Biden intend to do about Netanyahu's act of defiance against the 'holy grail' of U.S. policy recommendations? Well, he invited Benny Gantz, a member of Israel's War Cabinet to Washington, and wrapped him around an agenda "reserved for a prime minister, or someone they think will, or should be, premier". Officials apparently thought that by initiating a visit outside of usual diplomatic protocols, they may "have unleashed a dynamic that could lead to an election in Israel", Pinkas notes, resulting in a leadership more amenable to U.S. ideas.
It was clearly intended as a first step to 'soft power' régime change.
Comment: Author offers a knowledgeable summation of US presidential politics, less explored layers of strategy, what is possible and what is not.