Biden says has no plans to meet Netanyahu or address Israeli parliament

Biden was caught on a hot mic during Thursday’s State of the Union telling Sen. Michael Bennet that he told the Israeli prime minister: “You and I are gonna have a come to Jesus meeting.”

On Saturday, Biden told MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart he was open to addressing Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, but declined to offer more details on if he’d do so at the invitation of Netanyahu or Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Pressed Monday on if he plans to meet with Netanyahu, Biden left the door open, telling reporters “we’ll see what happens.”

Divisions between Biden and Netanyahu burst out into the open over the weekend as the two traded barbs in interviews over Israel’s war against Hamas.

In the MSNBC interview, Biden also said Netanyahu was “hurting Israel more than helping Israel” in his war on Gaza, adding that he wants “to see a ceasefire” in the context of a deal that also brings back Israeli hostages held in the besieged strip by Hamas.

Netanyahu’s “viability as a leader” is “in jeopardy”, according to an annual unclassified threat assessment from the US intelligence community.

“Distrust of Netanyahu’s ability to rule has deepened and broadened across the public from its already high levels before the war, and we expect large protests demanding his resignation and new elections,” according to the report released Monday.

“A different, more moderate government is a possibility.”

This comes as Netanyahu said he would push ahead with a military offensive in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, where 1.5 million displaced Palestinians are sheltering. But multiple Israel officials said the offensive is not imminent.