'No intention of keeping his word': Joe Biden reveals why he lost trust in Netanyahu over Gaza war

New Delhi: Former US President Joe Biden has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of repeatedly promising to reduce civilian casualties in Gaza without intending to honour those assurances, revealing deep frustration and a lack of trust between the two leaders in his forthcoming memoir.

In excerpts from ‘Promise Me, America’, Biden recounts how he repeatedly urged Netanyahu to take greater precautions to protect Palestinian civilians during Israel's military offensive following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. He says the Israeli prime minister acknowledged that the mounting death toll was damaging Israel's international standing and weakening American support for the war, but failed to translate his assurances into meaningful action.

"Bibi had no qualms about making promises he had no power - or intention - to keep," Biden writes.

The excerpts, published by CNN and other US media outlets on Friday, offer a rare account of the private disagreements between the two leaders, whose public alliance continued despite growing differences over Israel's military campaign. The memoir is scheduled for release on November 17.

Biden describes repeated assurances followed by more attacks

Biden says he began pressing Israel to minimise civilian suffering soon after the conflict erupted. While acknowledging Israel's determination to respond to the Hamas attack, he says he repeatedly raised concerns with Netanyahu in private conversations.

"I had been calling on Israel to take precautions to reduce civilian suffering since the beginning of the conflict," Biden writes.

According to the former president, Netanyahu recognised the political and diplomatic consequences of the rising Palestinian death toll, particularly its impact on Israel's relationship with Washington. However, Biden says the assurances were repeatedly followed by further military operations that killed more civilians.

"But a familiar pattern established itself: He would promise to do more, and then another aggressive action would follow, killing more civilians. When we called them on it, the Israelis always had an explanation or excuse, but the result was the same," he writes.

Biden also questions Netanyahu's political judgement, saying he was frustrated by what he viewed as the Israeli leader's inability to look beyond his immediate political interests.

"While I understood that he was working under severe pressures, I was frustrated by his failure to think like a statesman and safeguard Israel's long-term interests, not just his own short-term political needs," Biden writes.
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Biden admits lack of trust with Netanyahu

The memoir also reveals the extent of the personal and political tensions between the two leaders.

"There wasn't much trust between us," Biden writes, adding that although they could speak frankly, their relationship lacked confidence.

He further compares Netanyahu's political tendencies to those of US President Donald Trump, accusing the Israeli leader of being flexible with facts and willing to bend democratic institutions to serve his personal interests.

Biden also recalls the immediate aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attack, saying his hopes of securing lasting peace in the Middle East were "shattered" by the assault.

He says he made several calls to Netanyahu on the day of the attack to convey Washington's determination to prevent such an assault from happening again.
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Gaza toll and pressure on Biden

Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, in which around 1,200 people were killed in Israel.

The ensuing war has killed nearly 75,000 Palestinians, including children, according to figures from Gaza's Health Ministry cited by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Almost the entire population has been displaced at some point during the conflict.

Biden faced mounting criticism from sections of his own Democratic Party over his administration's continued military and diplomatic support for Israel despite the civilian death toll and repeated calls for Washington to exert greater pressure on Netanyahu.

In the memoir, he describes his private efforts to raise humanitarian concerns with the Israeli leader, pushing back against the suggestion that he had failed to address the civilian suffering.

‘Promise Me, America’ also covers Biden's decision to seek a second term in the 2024 presidential election and the controversy surrounding questions about his age and mental fitness.