President Joe Biden reportedly hung up on Prime Minister Netanyahu after a heated phone call about the Palestinian tax revenue dispute, two U.S. and Israeli officials and a source with knowledge of the issue told Axios.
Amid the Israel-Hamas war, the Israeli government has refused to release some tax revenues it collects for the Palestinian Authority that it says would go to the terrorist group Hamas, causing a dispute between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, according to Axios. Biden and Netanyahu had a call on Saturday in which the president reportedly got frustrated with the Israeli leader after he backtracked on a previous solution to the Palestinian tax revenue dispute, U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios.
“The feeling was that the president is going out on a limb for Bibi every day and when Bibi needs to give something back and take some political risk he is unwilling to do it,” one U.S. official told the outlet.
While the Palestinian Authority refuses to accept a partial transfer of the tax revenue, the Biden administration is raising concerns that limiting funds to the area could lead to a collapse and eventually further conflict in the West Bank, Axios reported. As a temporary solution, Biden suggested that the partial funds Israel is keeping go to Norway until an agreement is reached, a temporary compromise the Palestinian Authority has already accepted, the officials told Axios.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) greets US President Joe Biden upon his arrival at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport on October 18, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. Biden landed in Israel on October 18, on a solidarity visit following Hamas attacks that have led to major Israeli reprisals. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
After previously accepting the proposal, Netanyahu reportedly changed his mind and told Biden that he thinks the Palestinian Authority should accept what funds Israel wants to provide, adding that he doesn’t trust Norway, a U.S. official and a source told Axios. The change in positions caused Biden to grow frustrated with Netanyahu, telling him that he expects the president to figure the situation out, the U.S. official and source told the outlet, adding that Biden said, “This conversation is over.”
A second U.S. official downplayed the conversation to Axios saying that Israel is reportedly “just said they’re still working through things on their end” and hasn’t turned down the solution involving Norway quite yet.
The recent conversation between the two world leaders has reportedly been the most tense and frustrating conversation the two have had throughout the Israel-Hamas war, a U.S. official told Axios. As the Israel-Hamas war continues, reports have increased detailing rising tensions between Biden and Netanyahu. At a campaign event in December, Biden told donors that Israel is losing global support, even going as far to say that Netanyahu needs to change his government.(RELATED: Biden Reportedly Pushing Israel Not To Attack Hezbollah After Dealing With Hamas)
“Israel’s security can rest on the United States, but right now it has more than the United States. It has the European Union. It has Europe. It has most of the world supporting them,” Biden said at the campaign reception.
“They’re starting to lose that support by indiscriminate bombing that takes place,” the president added.