Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has backtracked on a private understanding that he reached with the Biden administration that he would support a major proposal for a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Multiple news reports were issued on Wednesday highlighting progress in the White House's push for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, and it is believed that this optimism was based on the understanding that Netanyahu would publicly vouch for it.
According to U.S. officials, the prime minister had given his word that he would publicly say that he welcomed the initiative, and Netanyahu and some of his closest confidants had a direct hand in drawing up the temporary ceasefire.
In fact, the American officials were so certain that it would move forward that White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that there was no way the Biden administration would have even presented the ceasefire proposal if it did not believe the Israeli government was in agreement.
Yesterday morning, the U.S., France and ten other countries issued a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel that would last for three weeks, and Netanyahu was reportedly aware that this statement would be issued. According to the statement, the U.S. and the other Arab and Western countries involved said that they expected all parties to support the proposal, including the Lebanese and Israeli governments.
Unfortunately, the opposite happened when Netanyahu arrived in New York yesterday ahead of a visit to the UN General Assembly.
Pressure from Netanyahu's cabinet and political survival instincts behind reversal
This change of heart came after several far-right ministers in Netanyahu’s government made public threats, with ultranationalist ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich voicing their opposition to a ceasefire and threatening to vote against Netanyahu’s ruling coalition should he go forward with it.
Netanyahu heard these comments while en route to New York. Shortly thereafter, his office issued a statement denying that any ceasefire was in the works, and an aide told reporters on the plane that Israel would be launching further military action against Hezbollah rather than agreeing to any ceasefire.
Netanyahu then stated in New York that Israel’s “policy is clear — we continue to hit Hezbollah with all our might. We will not stop until we achieve all of our goals, first of all returning the residents of the north safely to their homes. This is the policy and no one should make a mistake about that."
Kirby said that the White House's position is that the Israelis were “sincere” in discussions about the ceasefire ahead of the announcement and believe that something must have changed in the meantime.
"I don't know why Netanyahu said what he said and I don't know what his considerations were — whether they were political or operational. Ask him why he said that," Kirby stated.
Israel presses forward with strikes in Lebanon
Israel is further risking its relationship with the U.S., who has continued to offer support despite its ongoing genocide in Gaza, with its latest move, and it appears Netanyahu may now be trying to appeal to both sides as a statement from his office said that discussions about the ceasefire will continue but several points need to be clarified.
“Israel appreciates the US efforts in this regard because the US role is indispensable in advancing stability and security in the region,” the statement noted.
Despite the international pressure, Israel continues to push forward with its strikes in Lebanon. It launched dozens of strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon as the Lebanese foreign minister warned that the country was experiencing a crisis that was “threatening its very existence.”
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