‘Bibi, What The F**k?’: Biden Allegedly Sparred With Netanyahu Over Lack Of Gaza Strategy

Despite the public appearance of a strong friendship, President Joe Biden privately sparred with Benjamin Netanyahu several times over the Israeli prime minister’s lack of strategy in Gaza, as documented in a new book by veteran journalist Bob Woodward.

Woodward’s book, “War,” reveals new details about both Biden and former President Donald Trump’s sometimes expletive-laden statements to and about certain world leaders — like Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin — while facing multiple international crises. The book’s release date is Oct. 15, but CNN published some excerpts it obtained on Tuesday.

It has been one year since Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and capturing around 240 — about 100 of whom remain in captivity, a third of whom are presumed dead. In response, the Israeli military continues to rain chaos and havoc on Palestinians in Gaza, killing about 42,000 people, displacing nearly the entire population of 2.3 million and collapsing the territory’s whole health care system.

Despite increasing disapproval from people in and out of his administration, Biden has publicly served as Israel’s strongest ally, as evidenced by a constant stream of weapons and funding to the military, protecting the Israeli government at the United Nations and providing close to no accountability for the military’s clear violations of international human rights law.

However, in private, Biden has allegedly criticized Netanyahu.

“That son of a bitch, Bibi Netanyahu, he’s a bad guy. He’s a bad fucking guy!” Biden told an associate in the spring, according to Woodward. Politico first reported this same explosion in February, meaning the president may have expressed the sentiment even earlier.

In response, Biden spokesperson Andrew Bates told Politico that the president never said such a statement, and that the two leaders have a “decades-long relationship that is respectful in public and in private.”

The president allegedly tried to dissuade Netanyahu from launching a retaliatory attack after Iran sent a barrage of missiles flying at Israel on April 13 — missiles that were largely intercepted thanks to Israel’s allies, including the Biden administration. The attempted airstrikes were in retaliation for Israel’s April 1 attack on the Iranian consulate.

“Take the win,” Biden told Netanyahu in a phone call first reported by CNN in April. “You don’t need to make another move. Do nothing.”

On April 18, the Israeli prime minister launched a so-called limited strike on Iran anyway. Biden reportedly considered it a win because the attack could have been much more severe.

“I know he’s going to do something but the way I limit it is tell him to do nothing,” the president told advisers, according to Woodward.

That same month, the White House allegedly upped the private pressure after Netanyahu spoke of plans for Israel to launch a ground invasion into the southern Gaza town of Rafah, where an estimated 1 million displaced Palestinian civilians were cornered after months of military bombardment. At the time, the Biden administration said it would only support the invasion if the Israeli military had a serious strategy for evacuating and protecting civilians.

“What’s your strategy, man?” Biden asked the prime minister in an April call, Woodward reported.

“We have to go into Rafah,” Netanyahu answered.

“Bibi, you’ve got no strategy,” Biden said.

The Israeli military invaded Rafah in May, killing a massive number of Palestinians and making it almost impossible for any aid to enter through the major humanitarian crossing there. The Biden administration did not publicly try to stop it.

“He’s a fucking liar,” Biden told his advisers of Netanyahu, Woodward reported.

As Biden began facing mounting calls from within his own party to drop out of the presidential race, Netanyahu became bolder in his plan to expand his military campaign. The Israeli military bombed Beirut in July, killing multiple Lebanese civilians and a top commander from the militant group Hezbollah.

“Bibi, what the fuck?” Biden yelled after the attack, according to Woodward. “You know the perception of Israel around the world increasingly is that you’re a rogue state, a rogue actor.”

The commander, Fouad Shukur, “was one of the leading terrorists,” Netanyahu replied. “We saw an opportunity and took it. The harder you hit, the more successful you’re going to be in the negotiation.”

In addition to the continued attacks in Gaza, Netanyahu has now spread Israel’s military campaign to include the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. Meanwhile, there increasingly appears to be no sign of a cease-fire agreement, which was being mediated by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar.

Despite the alleged private turmoil, Biden will still end his presidency being known by the public as the administration that unconditionally supported Netanyahu and the Israeli military’s bombing campaigns in the Middle East.