The fractured relationship between United States President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now official, as is Israel’s isolation on the international stage.

In theory, the US said nothing at all in the latest vote at the United Nations Security Council: abstaining from casting a vote on whether it supports an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas. In practice, sitting out the vote was a symbolically powerful moment, allowing the UN’s premier forum for peace and security to pass its first ceasefire resolution since Israel’s war with Hamas began in October.

Throughout most of its history, the US has been Israel’s last line of defence on the Security Council, using its veto power as a permanent member to block resolutions that implicitly or explicitly criticise Israel.

Gilad Erdan, permanent representative of Israel to the UN, addresses the Security Council in New York.Credit: AP

Since the beginning of the war, the US has vetoed three ceasefire resolutions, arguing they undermined Israel’s right to self-defence and risked empowering militant group Hamas after it launched its brutal October 7 attacks.

Now the US has laid down its veto, formalising a rift between Biden and Netanyahu that has been apparent for months. In December, Biden warned Israel that it was losing international support because of its “indiscriminate bombing” in Gaza; in February he described Israel’s military campaign as “over the top”.

Even Biden’s likely presidential opponent and fierce Israel defender Donald Trump is fed up with the conflict.

“You have to finish up your war. To finish it up. You gotta get it done,” Trump told the Israel Hayom newspaper in an interview published on Tuesday.

He added that “Israel has to be very careful because you’re losing a lot of the world, you’re losing a lot of support”.

QOSHE - UN vote shows Biden has finally had enough of Netanyahu - Matthew Knott
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UN vote shows Biden has finally had enough of Netanyahu

10 1
26.03.2024

The fractured relationship between United States President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now official, as is Israel’s isolation on the international stage.

In theory, the US said nothing at all in the latest vote at the United Nations Security Council: abstaining from casting a vote on whether it supports an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas. In practice, sitting out the vote was a symbolically powerful moment, allowing the........

© The Sydney Morning Herald


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