In a recent report, it was suggested that President Joe Biden influenced Israel's decision to call off a preemptive strike on Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The report alleges that on October 11, following an attack on Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was prepared to launch a strike against Hezbollah. However, after a conversation with Biden, Netanyahu reportedly called off the attack.
The U.S. had expressed doubts about the validity of Israel's intelligence suggesting an imminent attack from Hezbollah and voiced concerns about the potential for the conflict to spread to other regions.
The report indicates that Biden and Netanyahu spoke for approximately 45 minutes, but it took nearly six hours before Netanyahu decided to call off the strike. However, Netanyahu has since refuted these claims.
Netanyahu, on Sunday, denied the allegations that Biden dissuaded him from attacking Hezbollah. He emphasized that Israel operates independently and is not swayed by the advice of foreign nations. "I have seen erroneous reports to the effect that the U.S. prevented, and is preventing, us from operational actions in the region. This is incorrect. Israel is a sovereign state, Netanyahu stated. Our decisions in the war are based on our operational considerations. They are not dictated by external pressure. The decision on how to use our forces is an independent decision of the Israel Defense Forces and nobody else, he added.
When questioned about a "preemptive strike" by a reporter, Biden was vague in his response. The reporter mistakenly referred to Hamas instead of Hezbollah. Biden responded, "I had a long talk with Netanyahu today and it's a private conversation."
The report's credibility has been questioned, particularly considering the timing of its release. The report emerged at a time when Biden's approval ratings are low, leading some to speculate that it may have been released by the Biden team to portray the President as successful in his diplomatic efforts.
However, if the report is accurate, the decision to call off the strike has left Hezbollah in place, leading to ongoing attacks on Israel's northern border. These attacks have reportedly destroyed 50 percent of the homes in one town and forced 80,000 people to evacuate.
Hezbollah, like Hamas, is supported by Iran, a country that Biden has recently aided by releasing millions of dollars. If the report is true, it would suggest that Biden's decision to dissuade Israel from launching a preemptive strike has allowed Hezbollah to continue its attacks, potentially necessitating a more intensive response from Israel in the future.
Login