Joe Biden is the first U.S. president in four decades not to contact the Israeli prime minister as one of his first actions.
Biden has already telephoned multiple world leaders, including those from China, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Japan, Mexico, Russia and South Korea.
But during nearly a month in office, he’s yet to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reinforce the relationship with our chief Middle East ally.
“The American-Israeli relationship is vital to our national security for a litany of reasons,” Texas Rep. Ronnie Jackson recently claimed. “I urge President Biden to ignore the radical left in his party and make a strong show of support for our partnership with Israel by calling Prime Minister Netanyahu.”
Last week, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki declined to explain when her boss would call the longtime Israeli leader. She denied Biden was intentionally snubbing Netanyahu and gave a vague answer when asked by reporters whether the Biden administration considers Israel an important ally.
“He is looking forward to speaking with Prime Minister Netanyahu,” Psaki said. “I can assure you that will be soon, but I don’t have a specific time or deadline.”
Biden’s odd decision comes as Israel faces its usual regional terrorist threats, yet also prospects for stability via new alliances against a hegemonic Iran, thanks to Trump administration efforts last year.
The new president also hired multiple anti-Israel extremists for top security spots. This includes Maher Bitar, a former board member of the anti-Semitic, pro-BDS group, Students for Justice in Palestine. Last month, the Palestinian activist was selected senior intelligence director at the National Security Council.
Team Biden’s Iran envoy, Robert Malley, is a known Jewish State-hater, sympathetic to Hamas and Islamist terrorists.
The former Bernie Sanders advisor with a socialist father was lead negotiator during President Barack Obama’s 2015 capitulation to Iran.
Every president going back to at least 1981 contacted his Israeli counterpart within a few days of assuming office.
According to Reuters, the lack of communication “has fueled speculation in Israel and among Middle East experts that the new administration may be signaling its displeasure over the close ties Netanyahu forged with Biden’s predecessor, former President Donald Trump.”
Upon assuming office in January 1981, President Ronald Reagan sent Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to meet with Israel’s Likud leaders, including Menachem Begin, to build confidence in the administration.
President George H.W. Bush called then-Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir five days after he assumed the presidency to reaffirm his support.
President Bill Clinton reached out to then-prime minister Yitzhak Rabin three days after being sworn in.
President George W. Bush telephoned former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak one week after entering the White House.
And despite his dubious Israel policies, Obama contacted Ehud Olmert on his first day in office — along with Palestinian leaders.
President Donald Trump called Netanyahu, then invited him to Washington, D.C. two days after the 45th president took the oath of office.
“Israel is one of America’s closest, if not most reliable ally in the world,” GOP fundraiser Eric Levine told Alpha News Monday. “It is the only democracy in the Middle East; a bulwark against international terrorism; the only country in the region that recognizes human rights; and Israel is a source of cutting edge technology that improves the lives of people around the globe.”
Biden is flying to Wisconsin today to promote his profligate COVID bill at a town hall. Maybe he can locate a phone on Air Force One.
A.J. Kaufman
A.J. Kaufman is an Alpha News columnist. His work has appeared in the Baltimore Sun, Florida Sun-Sentinel, Indianapolis Star, Israel National News, Orange County Register, St. Cloud Times, Star-Tribune, and across AIM Media Midwest and the Internet. Kaufman previously worked as a school teacher and military historian.
