He now has the political capital for negotiations that could set the country‘s next budget and allow him to continue to call the shots for at least another year in the multi-front regional war Israel is fighting.
„He feels he is winning,“ one of Netanyahu‘s aides told Axios.
The six-time prime minister will outlast President Biden, who has largely failed in his attempts to contain the conflict in the Middle East and rein in Netanyahu.
(Nov 4, 2023)
President Biden has been deeply involved in the U.S. response to the Israel-Hamas war — one of the thorniest challenges of his presidency so far — receiving briefings at least once per day and speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu several times a week.
The big picture: Biden is leaning on a tight circle of trusted aides and officials. Here‘s a look at who‘s in the room when major decisions are being made.
Gen. Erik Kurilla, commander of the U.S. Central Command, is expected to meet Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and senior Israel Defense Forces officials.
Israeli officials say they are preparing for a possible unprecedented direct attack from Iranian soil using ballistic missiles, drones and cruise missiles against Israeli targets.
In such a scenario, Israel will retaliate with a direct attack against Iran, the officials said.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday the U.S. has submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that calls „for an immediate ceasefire“ in Gaza that‘s „tied to the release“ of hostages held by Hamas.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in a briefing with reporters on Monday that Netanyahu „did raise his concerns about a variety of things that have come out in the American press.“
Sullivan added that from Biden‘s perspective „this is not a question of politics. It‘s not a question of public statements. It‘s a question of policy and strategy.“
One source said the fact that Netanyahu aired his grievances with Biden helped to somewhat clear the atmosphere.
Driving the news: A senior Israeli official said the Shin Bet and Israeli military intelligence provided information that pointed to the active participation of UNRWA staffers and the use of the agency‘s vehicles and facilities during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
„This was strong and corroborated intelligence,“ the official said. „A lot of the intelligence is a result of interrogations of militants who were arrested during the Oct. 7 attack.“
„At every juncture, Netanyahu has given Biden the finger,“ Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who has been in close contact with U.S. officials about the war, told Axios. „They are pleading with the Netanyahu coalition, but getting slapped in the face over and over again.“
Behind the scenes: Biden hasn‘t spoken to Netanyahu in the 20 days since a tense Dec. 23 call, which a frustrated Biden ended with the words: „This conversation is over.“
(Oct 19, 2021)
Youngkin’s campaign issued a statement Saturday attacking Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe and Dominion.
McAuliffe’s campaign declined to answer questions, including whether McAuliffe was aware of the PAC’s involvement.
(October 19, 2021)
The amount represents the company’s largest donation to any statewide political committee in Virginia this year — despite Youngkin opponent Terry McAuliffe having sworn that he would not take contributions from Dominion.
In its bid to weaken Youngkin’s support among conservative voters in the commonwealth, the Accountability Virginia PAC has been running social media ads questioning the Republican candidate’s record on gun rights.
(Oct 16, 2021 )
Virginia Democrat Terry McAuliffe has sworn off money from the Richmond company Dominion Energy. But the utility has found more subtle ways to back McAuliffe‘s gubernatorial bid, records show.
Driving the news: Dominion‘s political action committee has donated $200,000 to a murky political group called Accountability Virginia PAC, a group with ties to prominent Democrats that‘s been running ads attacking Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin from the right.
(September 28, 2021)
In the tightening race to become Virginia’s next governor, Democrats are resorting to attacking Republican nominee Glenn Youngkin from the right in an effort to depress GOP turnout in rural parts of the state.
From behind the veil of the nondescript “Accountability Virginia PAC,” Democratic operatives are haranguing Youngkin for not having been endorsed by the National Rifle Association in ads popping up on Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook among other mediums.
(Sep 28, 2021)
The intrigue: While clearly designed to hit Youngkin from the right, all indications point to Democrats behind the PAC.
Accountability Virginia‘s online donation page is hosted by the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue. Its bank account is at Amalgamated Bank, a labor union-owned financial institution popular with Democratic political groups.
The PAC was incorporated in Virginia by compliance consultants at the MBA Consulting Group, which works uniformly with Democrats.
(25.11.2020)
The Israel Defense Forces have in recent weeks been instructed to prepare for the possibility that the U.S. will conduct a military strike against Iran before President Trump leaves office, senior Israeli officials tell me.
As COVID-19 worsens, though, expect to see a greater willingness to trade privacy for effective health surveillance, just as 9/11 led to a tightening of security around airports and other public spaces.
„A situation like the pandemic creates a fundamental shift in how people react to technology. This is the direction we are going to be moving in.“
— Labhesh Patel, chief technology officer at Jumio, an ID verification company
The bottom line: We‘ve already given up so much in the fight against COVID-19. Some elements of personal privacy may be the next to go — and don‘t expect the surveillance to end when the pandemic does.
(16.07.2019)
The piece reports that the poll was taken in May and that it “included 1,003 likely general-election voters who are white and have two years or less of college education.” An important constituency, in other words.
Absent, however, is any indication of who did the poll, who commissioned it, how it was conducted, what the questions were, what its other results were and so on.
(14.07.2019)