Tim Kaine: Biden knows Netanyahu 'played' him in early months of Gaza war

[Celerity]

Senator and leading foreign policy voice in Democratic party tells the Guardian Biden has come to realise the limits of his influence

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/11/tim-kaine-interview-biden-israel-netanyahu

Senator Tim Kaine, a former vice-presidential nominee and leading foreign policy voice in the Democratic party, has said Joe Biden now understands that Benjamin Netanyahu “played” him during the early months of the war in Gaza but “that ain’t going to happen any more”. In an interview with the Guardian on Tuesday, Kaine accused the prime minister of making Israel “dramatically less safe” and hurting its longstanding relationship with the US, and said the US president had come to realise the limits of his influence.

The Democratic senator for Virginia is best known nationally as Hillary Clinton’s running mate in the 2016 presidential election, a race they lost to Republicans Donald Trump and Mike Pence. The Biden ally is a member of the Senate foreign relations and armed services committees. Kaine has repeatedly reiterated his backing for Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas following the terrorist attack six months ago that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took about 250 people hostage. But he has joined other Democrats in expressing growing consternation over a hardline military response that has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, and spurred a looming famine.

Biden embraced Netanyahu early in the conflict but had little to show for it as Israel continued to rain bombs on Gaza, causing mass displacement, threats of famine and disease and, last week, the deaths of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers. Protesters have condemned Biden for miscalculating the extent of his sway over Netanyahu. Kaine reflected: “I do believe he felt like that relationship and the true compassion that he had for Israel over his career would lead him to be listened to by the Israeli leadership. I think he is enormously frustrated that he’s been trying to give advice, not like a foe would give it – ‘I think this is better for you if you listen to me. I’m not just saying this is better for me; I’m saying this will be better for you.’”

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The senator, who last December raised concerns over the Biden administration’s decision to transfer weapons to Israel without congressional oversight, added: “I think President Biden has turned the corner and realised he’s not going to be able, through the force of the relationship, to convince Benjamin Netanyahu to be anything other than who he is.” Biden has become increasingly critical as the war drags on and the civilian death toll mounts, including thousands of children. In an interview recorded last week and broadcast on Tuesday on Univision, the president said of Netanyahu: “I think what he’s doing is a mistake. I don’t agree with his approach.”

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