Joe Biden’s open criticism shows patience with Israel is wearing thin
It is one of the classic cliches of diplomacy, that a country speaks supportively of its allies in public whilst taking a more honest and harder tone in private, and that has long been the common assumption for America’s dealings with Israel.
Occasionally, however, there comes a point when the behind-doors diplomacy isn’t having the desired effect and so a more open, and usually critical, approach is needed.
It seems like the White House has now reached that moment in this war.
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Over recent weeks, it was becoming obvious that the US government was frustrated with Israel on two issues in particular: the high number of civilian casualties in Gaza and the lack of humanitarian aid being allowed in.
There has also been a disagreement over how long the intense fighting in this war can last – Israel says months, the US says weeks.
Comments made by the vice president, the defence secretary and secretary of state in recent days all reflected that shifting mood in Washington.
It is no secret that the White House is no fan of Israel’s extreme-right cabinet, but for the US president to clearly state that Netanyahu has to “change this government” is the bluntest expression of that to date.
Specifically, that relates to a disagreement between Washington and Israel over what happens ‘the day after’ in Gaza.
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In recent weeks, the US has said the war must eventually end with the re-establishment of talks towards a two-state solution, but Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected that future, saying he will not let Gaza become “Hamastan or Fatahstan”, referring to the two main Palestinian political bodies.
Biden’s description of Israel’s bombing campaign as “indiscriminate” is language we are more used to hearing from Arab leaders, not the American president.
I have spent a large part of this year reporting on Netanyahu’s push for controversial judicial reforms in Israel and President Biden‘s opposition to them.
However, beyond denying Netanyahu an invitation to the White House, which will have stung someone of Bibi’s character, it’s hard to see how the US pressure had much effect on that particular matter.
If the reforms were stymied, it was more to do with fierce domestic opposition than opposition from the White House.
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UN votes for ceasefire resolution
This situation is different: the war in Gaza isn’t simply an internal Israeli issue, it has significant and extremely worrying regional consequences and the months ahead will require an extraordinary, and perhaps an unprecedented, alliance of Middle Eastern states to map out the future of Gaza and the West Bank.
The US does have diplomatic options that it could deploy if it feels ignored by Israel.
It could change its position within the UN Security Council, for example, and vote in favour of a ceasefire rather than rejecting one, as it did a few days ago.
This happened in 2009, when the UK government made a last-minute decision to vote in favour of a ceasefire, the US followed, and a ceasefire came into force a week later.
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Netanyahu’s popularity in Israel was in steady decline throughout the year as anger spread against the judicial reforms.
This war provided him with an unexpected respite, as the nation rallied and united to avenge the Hamas attacks.
More than two months on from that dreadful 7 October day, signs are once again emerging that Netanyahu’s position is fragile.
A recent poll on one Israeli TV station revealed that 72% of Israelis thought he should resign either immediately or once the war was over.
Reservist soldiers, who were among the most vocal and damaging opponents to the judicial reforms earlier this year, are now reportedly resentful of what they believe are shameless photo opportunities when Netanyahu visits them on the frontline.
And so faced with the return of domestic opposition to his premiership, can Netanyahu risk losing the support of the White House too?
The US remains supportive of Israel’s efforts to destroy Hamas, but is now clearly unimpressed with the way they are going about it.
Donald Trump has said he is considering “taking away” the US citizenship of actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell, despite a Supreme Court ruling that expressly prohibits a government from doing so.
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, the US president said: “Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship.”
He also labelled O’Donnell, who has moved to Ireland, as a “threat to humanity” and said she should “remain in the wonderful country of Ireland, if they want her”.
O’Donnell responded on Instagram by posting a photograph of Mr Trump with Jeffrey Epstein.
“You are everything that is wrong with America and I’m everything you hate about what’s still right with it,” she wrote in the caption.
“I’m not yours to silence. I never was.”
Rosie O’Donnell moved to Ireland after Donald Trump secured a second term. Pic: AP
O’Donnell moved to Ireland with her 12-year-old son in January after Mr Trump had secured a second term.
She has said she’s in the process of obtaining Irish citizenship based on family lineage and that she would only return to the US “when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America”.
O’Donnell and the US president have criticised each other publicly for years, in an often-bitter back-and-forth that predates Mr Trump’s move into politics.
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This is just the latest threat by the president to revoke the citizenship of someone he has disagreed with, most recently his former ally Elon Musk.
But the two situations are different as while Musk was born in South Africa, O’Donnell was born in the US and has a constitutional right to American citizenship.
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Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, said the Supreme Court ruled in a 1967 case that the fourteenth amendment of the constitution prevents the government from taking away citizenship.
“The president has no authority to take away the citizenship of a native-born US citizen,” he added.
“In short, we are nation founded on the principle that the people choose the government; the government cannot choose the people.”
A farmer who fell from a greenhouse roof during an anti-immigrant raid at a licensed cannabis facility in California this week has died of his injuries.
Jaime Alanis, 57, is the first person to die as a result of Donald Trump’s Immigration Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) raids.
His niece, Yesenia Duran, posted on the fundraising site GoFundMe to say her uncle was his family’s only provider and he had been sending his earnings back to his wife and daughter in Mexico.
The United Food Workers said Mr Alanis had worked on the farm for 10 years.
“These violent and cruel federal actions terrorise American communities, disrupt the American food supply chain, threaten lives and separate families,” the union said in a recent statement on X.
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it executed criminal search warrants at Glass House Farms facilities on Thursday.
Mr Alanis called family to say he was hiding and possibly fleeing agents before he fell around 30ft (9m) from the roof and broke his neck, according to information from family, hospital and government sources.
Agents arrested 200 people suspected of being in the country illegally and identified at least 10 immigrant children on the sites, the DHS said in a statement.
Mr Alanis was not among them, the agency said.
“This man was not in and has not been in CBP (Customs and Border Protection) or ICE custody,” DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin said.
“Although he was not being pursued by law enforcement, this individual climbed up to the roof of a greenhouse and fell 30ft. CBP immediately called a medivac to the scene to get him care as quickly as possible.”
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Four US citizens were arrested during the incident for allegedly “assaulting or resisting officers”, the DHS said, and authorities were offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a person suspected of firing a gun at federal agents.
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In a statement, Glass House, a licensed Cannabis grower, said immigration agents had valid warrants. It said workers were detained and it is helping provide them with legal representation.
“Glass House has never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors,” it added.
Donald Trump has said he is considering “taking away” the US citizenship of actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell, despite a Supreme Court ruling that expressly prohibits a government from doing so.
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, the US president said: “Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship.”
He also labelled O’Donnell, who has moved to Ireland, as a “threat to humanity” and said she should “remain in the wonderful country of Ireland, if they want her”.
O’Donnell responded on Instagram by posting a photograph of Mr Trump with Jeffrey Epstein.
“You are everything that is wrong with America and I’m everything you hate about what’s still right with it,” she wrote in the caption.
“I’m not yours to silence. I never was.”
Rosie O’Donnell moved to Ireland after Donald Trump secured a second term. Pic: AP
O’Donnell moved to Ireland with her 12-year-old son in January after Mr Trump had secured a second term.
She has said she’s in the process of obtaining Irish citizenship based on family lineage and that she would only return to the US “when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America”.
O’Donnell and the US president have criticised each other publicly for years, in an often-bitter back-and-forth that predates Mr Trump’s move into politics.
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Will Trump address parliament on UK state visit?
This is just the latest threat by the president to revoke the citizenship of someone he has disagreed with, most recently his former ally Elon Musk.
But the two situations are different as while Musk was born in South Africa, O’Donnell was born in the US and has a constitutional right to American citizenship.
Read more from Sky News:
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Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, said the Supreme Court ruled in a 1967 case that the fourteenth amendment of the constitution prevents the government from taking away citizenship.
“The president has no authority to take away the citizenship of a native-born US citizen,” he added.
“In short, we are nation founded on the principle that the people choose the government; the government cannot choose the people.”
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