A recent report on Israeli TV alleges that Biden administration officials considered ways to undermine Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after ceasefire negotiations faltered, aiming to advance the president’s own ceasefire proposal. 

However, the plan was ultimately rejected by President Biden.

According to former White House officials interviewed on Israel’s Channel 13 show “HaMakor,” one of the president’s advisors on the region stated that the idea of acting against Netanyahu gained traction within the administration after the initial ceasefire agreement in the Israel-Hamas conflict fell apart.

Ilan Goldenberg, Biden’s Middle East advisor, said the suggestion was for Biden to address the Israeli public directly, presenting two choices. “Many people, even in the Oval Office, discussed the possibility of the President giving a speech. Benny Gantz (the opposition leader) had 37 [seats] and Bibi had about 15, right? He was very weak. Joe Biden was still very popular in Israel,” he stated.

Goldenberg explained, “The idea was for Biden to say that Israel could end the war, free all the hostages, and secure a deal that might even involve some Hamas members leaving—or they could continue as they were, leading to a perpetual war. Their sons and daughters would keep fighting, and most of the hostages would likely die. The goal was either to get Netanyahu to agree to the deal or to disrupt Israeli politics and potentially trigger elections. People were saying, ‘Let’s break this up because it’s not going anywhere good.'”

Goldenberg added that Biden ultimately opposed the idea. “I think in the end, he [Biden] was uncomfortable with the idea of going that directly against Netanyahu.”

The report highlights that deep mistrust and personal friction between former President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu jeopardized crucial diplomatic opportunities at a time when U.S.-Israeli cooperation was essential. The report includes insights from nine senior Biden administration officials and illustrates the complexities of their interactions.

Tom Nides, former U.S. ambassador to Israel, noted that the president frequently disagreed with Netanyahu’s leadership.

“Biden didn’t really trust Netanyahu,” Nides said. “Netanyahu, come on everybody, he’s a survivor, a manipulator, you know, a magician when it comes to relationships. Biden saw all of that.”

Before Oct. 7, tensions centered on Netanyahu’s efforts to reform the judiciary, which led to large-scale protests and clashes. “I was in the middle of all this… I had many a screaming match with Ron Dermer (Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs) about this,” Nides said. Biden consistently urged Netanyahu to slow down and seek consensus, while concerns grew over figures like far-right nationalist Minister Ben Gvir.

“There were lots of anxieties over the issues around judicial reform, which I thought was insane,” Nides said.

The personal strain occasionally surfaced publicly. When asked if Biden ever used strong language towards Netanyahu, Nides replied, “President Biden likes to use colorful language, and on occasion, the prime minister was able to extract that colorful language from the president.” He mentioned that Netanyahu questioning Biden’s commitment to Israel particularly angered him.

After Oct. 7, when Biden became the first sitting president to visit Israel during wartime, tensions increased as Netanyahu rejected U.S. plans for . According to Michael Herzog, Israel’s then-ambassador to Washington, Biden felt Netanyahu was helping Trump politically, while Netanyahu suspected Biden of deliberately “walking on his head.”

The tension extended . National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated that Hamas was hesitant to engage in serious discussions for several months. When asked whether Netanyahu had added conditions, he responded, “I’m not saying that.”

Dan Shapiro, former deputy assistant secretary of Defense, revealed in the interview that Arab leaders were privately supporting Israel’s efforts to defeat Hamas, contrary to their public statements. “They said very clearly, please tell the Israelis they have our support to wipe out Hamas,” he said.

Concurrently, as tensions with Netanyahu grew, a significant opportunity was slipping away. Amos Hochstein, former U.S. special envoy for International Energy Affairs, described Saudi Arabia as “the most important Muslim country in the world” and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as a historic figure capable of reshaping the region.

Herzog, Israel’s former ambassador to Washington, confirmed that serious discussions took place regarding advancing normalization during the transition period before Trump could potentially return to office. “Biden would bring Democrats, and Trump would bring Republicans,” Herzog explained, but said that Trump preferred to wait, not wanting to share the achievement. “I believe it will happen, I just don’t know when,” Herzog said.

Digital has reached out to former President Biden’s spokesperson for comment.