The lesson that US President Joe Biden wanted to teach Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has been learned and the two leaders will probably talk soon. That, at least, is the hope in Jerusalem. “The Americans punched Bennett in the nose,” a very senior diplomatic security source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. “This was a clear American signal about the rules of the game and the relationship they expect to see between the White House and the prime minister’s office. I think Bennett got the message.”
A clear indication that Bennett did, indeed, get the message can be found in his public silence in recent weeks on the issue of the nuclear negotiations with Iran. The harsh criticism that Bennett had publicly directed at the policy of the West, and specifically of the United States, has recently dropped below the radar and is conveyed, if at all, only behind closed doors. A senior political source speaking on condition of anonymity quoted last week Bennett on this specific issue, saying, “The point has been made. There’s no need to harp on it.”
The glitch between Jerusalem and Washington was triggered by a Channel 13 News report according to which the White House was ignoring Bennett’s request for a phone call with Biden, which the Israelis had put in weeks ago. The response by the prime minister’s office to the report was essentially true, saying there had not been an official request for such a phone call. On the other hand, there had been an informal one. Al-Monitor has learned that it was conveyed by Bennett’s influential policy aide Shimrit Meir (who was a guest on Al-Monitor “On Israel” podcast last April) to the new American Ambassador Tom Nides in Tel Aviv.
In hindsight, Israel concedes that the whole process had been mishandled, allowing the president to deviate from diplomatic protocol and ignore the request. “The request did not go through the usual channels,” a top Israeli diplomatic source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. “The Israeli Embassy in Washington was completely unaware of it. Had it been aware, it would have tried to help.” Al-Monitor has also learned that the embassy in Washington had recently recommended that Jerusalem avoid asking for a phone call between the prime minister and the president because the time was not convenient.
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