President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the phone for the first time since December 23, when Biden hung up on Netanyahu in irritation. According to a senior Israeli source who spoke with Axios, "The call was good." The person said that the discussion, which lasted around 40 minutes, covered the latest military developments in Gaza and Lebanon.
The escalating disagreements about the Israel-Hamas conflict and its aftermath are reflected in the almost month-long quiet, according to the AP. Earlier this week, US officials were unhappy with Netanyahu's remarks against a Palestinian state that could operate independently, which he made on Thursday. Biden brought it up again in Friday's chat.
The United States is not attempting to persuade Israel to alter its stance, according to White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. "But we can't talk about post-war Gaza without discussing the Palestinian people's aspirations and governance in Gaza," added the president.
In response to a reporter's question on the feasibility of a two-state solution while Netanyahu is in government, Biden said, "No, it's not." According to the AP, neither country is showing any signs of shifting its stance. The president became irritated and said last month that the "conversation is over." According to Axios, Biden and Netanyahu spoke almost daily throughout the first two months of the conflict.
The escalating disagreements about the Israel-Hamas conflict and its aftermath are reflected in the almost month-long quiet, according to the AP. Earlier this week, US officials were unhappy with Netanyahu's remarks against a Palestinian state that could operate independently, which he made on Thursday. Biden brought it up again in Friday's chat.
The United States is not attempting to persuade Israel to alter its stance, according to White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. "But we can't talk about post-war Gaza without discussing the Palestinian people's aspirations and governance in Gaza," added the president.
In response to a reporter's question on the feasibility of a two-state solution while Netanyahu is in government, Biden said, "No, it's not." According to the AP, neither country is showing any signs of shifting its stance. The president became irritated and said last month that the "conversation is over." According to Axios, Biden and Netanyahu spoke almost daily throughout the first two months of the conflict.
