Outraged White House cancels high-level meeting with Israel after Netanyahu scolds US over weapons: ‘Fuming’
The White House canceled a high-level meeting with Israel that was scheduled for Thursday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video claiming the US was withholding military aid, according to a report.
Top advisers to President Biden were shocked and outraged by Netanyahu’s claims that the US has withheld weapons and ammunition from Israel, with a senior Israeli official telling Axios, “The Americans are fuming. Bibi’s video made a lot of damage.”
Hours after the explosive video was published, US envoy Amos Hochstein personally delivered a message telling Netanyahu his accusations were incorrect and out of line.
Soon after, the White House canceled a Thursday meeting on Iran, two US and Israeli sources told Axios.
“This decision makes it clear that there are consequences for pulling such stunts,” one of the U.S. officials said.
In his video, speaking in English, Netanyahu declared that it was “inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunition to Israel.”
Meanwhile, the White House publicly expressed confusion over Netanyahu’s comments, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying only one weapons shipment had been paused since the start of the war.
“We genuinely do not know what he is talking about,” she noted.
Several Israeli officials were already traveling to Washington when the meetings on Iran were canceled, according to the report.
While two US officials said the meeting was canceled to send a message about the video, a third said it was postponed, not canceled, over a scheduling conflict.
This was the second time a meeting on the Iran strategic dialogue was canceled last minute. In March Netanyahu canceled a meeting after the US declined to veto a UN Security resolution that included a reference to a ceasefire in Gaza.
Despite strained relations between Biden and Netanyahu, the Israeli leader is expected to address a joint meeting of Congress on July 24, setting the stage for what is expected to be a contentious speech at a crucial moment for the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
