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A new book from renowned journalist Bob Woodward, War, has revealed tense exchanges between the American and Israeli heads of state amidst escalating violence in the region, with instances where U.S. President Joe Biden barked down the phone to Benjamin Netanyahu allegedly saying “Bibi, what the f***?”
“You know the perception of Israel around the world increasingly is that you’re a rogue state — a rogue actor,” Biden told Netanyahu, as cited in Woodward’s book, which isn’t scheduled for release until later this month, but early leaks seen by media, including CNN and The New York Times, revealed.
The instance dates back to when Netanyahu ordered the assassination of top Hamas military leader, Ismail Haniyeh
— two months before Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was similarly targeted in an airstrike.
Over the phone, the Israeli president seemed to shrug. “This is Haniyeh,” Netanyahu replied. “One of the leading terrorists. A terrible guy. We saw an opportunity and took it.”
The book depicts an aging U.S. president grappling to maintain control over his increasingly obstinate ally in Jerusalem.
The most explosive revelations pertain to the strained relationship between Biden and Netanyahu. After Hamas’s October 7 attack, Biden made history as the first U.S. president to visit Israel during wartime, affirming, “You are not alone.” Yet frustration has mounted as Netanyahu has pursued aggressive military actions, often resulting in significant civilian casualties.
In an April conversation, Biden pressed, “What’s your strategy, man?” Netanyahu pointed to the need to take Rafah. “Bibi, you’ve got no strategy,” Biden told him.
Biden later vetoed a shipment of 3,500 bombs bound for Israel due to concerns they might target Rafah.
Despite this, Netanyahu ordered an attack on the Palestinian city, prompting Biden to tell his advisers that Netanyahu was a “fuc*ing liar” and that “18 out of 19 people who work for him” were also liars, according to Woodward.
Biden labeled Netanyahu a “son of a b***h” in the April conversation, according to Bob Woodward’s new book, War, CNN reported on Tuesday.
In his book, Woodward claims Biden said that the Israeli prime minister was “a bad guy. He’s a bad f***ing guy!”
In the book,Vice President Kamala Harris comes across as two-faced. Following a cordial meeting with Netanyahu, she vowed to “not be silent” about the suffering of Palestinians under Israeli attacks. “She wants to be tough in public,” said Israel’s ambassador in Washington, Michael Herzog, “but she wasn’t as tough privately.”
Woodward also reveals that Donald Trump’s ties with Vladimir Putin are even closer than previously understood.
During the global COVID-19 testing shortage in 2020, Trump sent diagnostic kits to the Russian president for personal use. Putin, fearful of infection, urged Trump to keep the gift secret to avoid potential political fallout. “Please don’t tell anybody you sent these to me,” Putin implored. “I don’t care,” Trump replied. “Fine.”
The book suggests that the two may have spoken up to seven times since Trump left the White House in 2021.
Meanwhile, Biden, viewing Putin as a threat to the U.S., has not engaged with him since Russia’s war with Ukraine in February 2022. U.S. intelligence assessed that Putin was considering the use of tactical nuclear weapons, with a 50 percent likelihood of such an attack occurring.
The relationship between Biden and Netanyahu continues to deteriorate. Recently, Netanyahu canceled a meeting between his defense minister and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, where they were set to discuss Israel’s response to Iran’s recent missile attacks on Tel Aviv and other cities. Israeli officials have signaled a significant military response, yet American officials claim Israel hasn’t shared its plans.
Netanyahu insisted on speaking with Biden before the defense ministers could meet, but Biden reportedly has been avoiding him. The two leaders, who have a long history together, have not spoken in seven weeks.
In the book, Biden discusses his efforts to influence Netanyahu to adopt a less aggressive stance.
After an ineffective Iranian missile attack in April, he urged Netanyahu to “take the win” and refrain from retaliation, fully aware that a response was likely. “I know he’s going to do something, but the way I limit it is to tell him to do nothing,” Biden explained.
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