WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden spoke by phone Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, against the backdrop of growing protests on U.S. college campuses and a possible imminent invasion of Rafah.
The two discussed common ground, with Biden “reaffirming[ing] their firm commitment to Israel’s security” following Iran’s missile and drone attack on the country earlier this month, the White House readout said. The leaders reviewed hostage and ceasefire discussions and also spoke about humanitarian aid in Gaza.
But the call also highlighted daylight between the two over Israeli strategy in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Netanyahu shows no signs of backing down from a ground offensive in that country – a potential move that the US publicly opposes.
“The leaders discussed Rafah and the President reiterated his clear position,” said the read he said.
More than a million Palestinians are currently sheltering in the city.
Earlier on Sunday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby he said during an interview with ABC News that the Israelis “assured us that they will not enter Rafah until we have a chance to really share our perspectives and concerns with them.”
“So we’ll see where this goes,” he added.
The call comes as pro-Palestinian protests sweep university campuses. Although the protesters’ demands differ between schools, many of the student organizers call for an end to the war and urge their universities to divest from companies doing business in Israel.
Biden has faced criticism from progressives and Muslim Americans over his support for Israel, a longtime U.S. ally, following Hamas’ surprise Oct. 7 terrorist attack. At the same time, others called on him to denounce rising anti-Semitism on college campuses.
Sunday’s conversation was Biden and Netanyahu’s first phone call since April 4, when Biden spoke with Netanyahu after an Israeli airstrike killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers.
During the previous April conference call, Biden “emphasized that strikes targeting aid workers and the overall humanitarian situation are unacceptable,” according to the White House. read.
In the days following the deaths of the aid workers on April 1, the administration’s public rhetoric toward the Israeli government intensified as the president criticized his Israeli counterpart more than previously. Biden said in early April that he thinks Netanyahu is making a “mistake” in his handling of the war, adding: “I don’t agree with his approach.”
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