Biden on Netanyahu: "He's a F--king Liar"

In his new book, legendary journalist Bob Woodward offers a remarkable look behind the scenes at President Joe Biden's blunt, profanity-laced assessments and interactions with the world leaders who have shaped his presidency, from Benjamin Netanyahu to Vladimir Putin.

"That son of a bitch, Bibi Netanyahu, he's a bad guy. He's a bad fucking guy!" Biden declared privately about the Israeli prime minister to one of his associates in the spring of 2024 as Israel's war in Gaza intensified, Woodward writes.

[...] In the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Woodward describes the roller-coaster relationship between Biden and Netanyahu. While Biden supported Israel publicly, he fought with Netanyahu behind the scenes over how Israel was conducting the war in Gaza.

"What's your strategy, man?" Biden asked Netanyahu during an April phone call, Woodward reports.

"We have to go into Rafah," Netanyahu said.

"Bibi, you've got no strategy." Biden responded.

That same month, Israel launched a strike in Syria that killed a top general in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, prompting Iran to launch more than 100 ballistic missiles in response, the first time that Iran had fired missiles from its territory directly at Israel.

The US, along with Saudi Arabia, Jordan and other US allies, came to Israel's defense. While nearly all of the Iranian missiles were intercepted, Netanyahu wanted to retaliate.

Biden told Netanyahu on a call to "take the win," though the Israeli prime minister pushed back. "You don't need to make another move. Do nothing," Biden said.

In the end, Israel launched a limited, calibrated strike against Iran, which Biden considered a win.

"I know he's going to do something but the way I limit it is tell him to 'Do nothing,'" Biden told his advisers, according to Woodward.

But Biden's frustration with Netanyahu boiled over as the war continued to escalate.

"He's a fucking liar," Biden said privately of Netanyahu, after Israel went into Rafah, Woodward writes.

"Bibi, what the fuck?" Biden yelled at Netanyahu in July after an Israeli airstrike killed a top Hezbollah military commander and three civilians in Beirut, according to Woodward.

"You know the perception of Israel around the world increasingly is that you're a rogue state, a rogue actor," Biden said to Netanyahu.

Netanyahu responded that the target was "one of the leading terrorists."

"We saw an opportunity and took it," Netanyahu said. "The harder you hit, the more successful you're going to be in the negotiation."

In May, Mr. Biden halted a shipment of 3,500 bombs to Israel out of concern that they would be used in the Rafah operation and cause excessive civilian casualties. After Mr. Netanyahu proceeded with the invasion of Rafah anyway, Mr. Biden told advisers that Mr. Netanyahu was a liar, using an obscenity, and added that "18 out of 19 people who work for him" were also liars, the book says.

Yesterday: Biden answers "No" when he was asked if he'll deploy more troops to the Middle East.

Today: Pentagon announces that more U.S. troops are being deployed to the Middle East.

Somebody's running the country and it definitely it's Joe Biden.pic.twitter.com/xhMIfnUS1w

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 30, 2024

People are losing their minds over this exchange, but it’s hilarious.

No, I don’t care that Biden put on a Trump hat or that he was joking with a Trump supporter - politics doesn’t have to be a blood sport.

My favorite part:

MAGA man: you want my autograph?

Biden: hell no 🤣 pic.twitter.com/ETncG8gCiy

— Angry Staffer 🌻 (@Angry_Staffer) September 12, 2024