The White House has cancelled a high-level meeting between the U.S. and Israel, originally scheduled for Thursday, in response to a video released by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday.
President Biden's senior advisors were infuriated by Netanyahu's video, prompting U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein to convey their displeasure directly to the Israeli Prime Minister in a meeting just hours after the video's release, according to sources from both the U.S. and Israel.
In a further show of discontent, the White House subsequently cancelled the scheduled meeting for Thursday, escalating the diplomatic fallout.
"This decision makes it clear that there are consequences for pulling such stunts," a U.S. official told Axios.
"The Americans are fuming. Bibi's video made a lot of damage," a senior Israeli official said.
Netanyahu’s nickname is Bibi.
When the meeting was abruptly cancelled, some Israeli officials were already travelling to Washington.
According to two U.S. officials, the cancellation was intended to convey a message of disapproval regarding Netanyahu's video. However, a third official offered a different explanation, stating that the meeting was merely postponed due to a scheduling conflict, rather than cancelled altogether.
In a video statement delivered in English, Netanyahu exclaimed that it was "inconceivable" that the US administration had been withholding weapons and ammunition from Israel over the past few months, expressing his dismay and surprise at the alleged decision.
In a public response, the White House conveyed confusion and puzzlement.
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre clarified that only a single weapons shipment had been temporarily delayed since the conflict began, while a substantial amount of military aid, totalling billions of dollars, had been delivered without interruption.
She added, "We genuinely do not know what he is talking about.”
Behind closed doors, President Biden's team was seething with anger and disbelief at Netanyahu's lack of appreciation, according to a U.S. official.
Coincidentally, Amos Hochstein, the U.S. envoy, had already been scheduled to meet with Netanyahu on Tuesday during a visit to Israel, en route back from Beirut, where he was working to ease tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border.
The meeting provided an opportunity for Hochstein to address the issue directly with Netanyahu.
Furthermore, President Biden's senior advisors opted to cancel the highly anticipated strategic dialogue on Iran, which was slated to involve extensive discussions among top officials from the State Department, Pentagon, and U.S. intelligence agencies, as well as their Israeli counterparts.
An Israeli official confirmed that the White House had formally informed Israel of the decision to cancel the meeting, which had been billed as a significant opportunity for bilateral coordination on Iran policy.