Biden’s response to Netanyahu means the US-Israeli relationship has changed for good

It’s less than 24 hours since President Joe Biden bluntly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu there would be consequences if the IDF does not take steps to protect Palestinian civilians and aid workers. And it appears Mr Netanyahu has taken notice.

According to White House officials, Biden used the conversation to unload months of growing frustrations with the Israeli leader. Netanyahu’s intransigent refusal to protect Palestinian civilians and the Israeli military’s callous disregard for the safety of those attempting to provide those same civilians with food and medical care has caused consternation in the White House. The deaths of seven aid workers delivering food to hungry civilians for the nonprofit World Central Kitchen in three targeted airstrikes were the final straw.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday that Biden had made clear that “absent changes in the protection of civilians on the ground, absent changes to the volume of humanitarian assistance getting in, absent any movement on a ceasefire that will allow hostages to get out and more aid to get in, absent… a calming down, that he will have to reconsider his own policy choices with respect to Gaza”.

“If there’s no changes to [Israeli] policy and their approaches, then there’s going to have to be changes to ours,” Kirby added.

One Biden aide who spoke to The Independent on condition of anonymity said the president was motivated to push Netanyahu to make changes after speaking with Jose Andres, the Washington-based celebrity chef who founded World Central Kitchen. The aide added that Biden considers Andres a personal friend.

For years, Netanyahu has operated with impunity when it comes to how his country