The Biden administration exerted heavy stress on Israel in the course of the battle, repeatedly urging restraint—significantly in responding to Iran’s direct assault—and creating bureaucratic obstacles that delayed important weapons shipments, former Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael (Mike) Herzog informed Israel Hayom on Friday.
In an explosive interview, Herzog revealed that US officers strongly opposed an Israeli counterstrike on Iran, warning that retaliation might escalate right into a regional battle.
“They informed us to not reply after Iran’s first assault. They anticipated us to comprise it,” Herzog informed Israel Hayom. “We informed them, ‘That’s not how the Center East works. For us, that is existential.’”
At one level, he recalled, senior Biden administration officers have been livid with Israel’s actions, fearing they might be drawn right into a broader battle.
“Greater than as soon as, they went loopy on me. They yelled, ‘You’ve misplaced your minds! You’re dragging us right into a regional battle!’”
Regardless of US warnings, Israel did strike Iranian targets. However Herzog famous a double normal in Washington’s method—as soon as the Israeli response was profitable in deterring additional aggression, American officers tried to take credit score for regional stability.
“They initially informed us to watch out and never retaliate,” Herzog stated. “However after our actions succeeded, they needed credit score, saying, ‘The Center East is in a greater place as a result of we supported Israel.’ The issue is, they didn’t really help these actions on the time.”
State Division hostility towards Israel
Herzog painted a grim image of hostile components inside the US State Division, significantly those that sought to restrict Israel’s army operations and block key safety choices.
“There are various inside the State Division who usually are not simply unfriendly to Israel, however outright hostile,” Herzog informed Israel Hayom. “Some actively labored to dam almost each Israeli request.”
One of the troubling revelations was the authorized division inside the State Division that focuses solely on scrutinizing Israel’s use of US weapons. Herzog famous that no different nation is subjected to this degree of oversight.
“The Biden administration allowed bureaucrats with an anti-Israel agenda to affect US coverage,” Herzog warned. “They made certain that just about each Israeli request was delayed, watered down, or obstructed.”
Weapons delays and political maneuvering
Past diplomatic tensions, Herzog additionally addressed the delays in US weapons shipments to Israel, together with the short-term freeze on 2,000-pound bombs—which the administration justified on humanitarian grounds.
“There was no formal arms embargo,” Herzog clarified, “however bureaucratic delays and political stress slowed down deliveries at essential moments.”
In the meantime, he famous, Ukraine continued receiving American weapons with out related restrictions.
The state of affairs escalated when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly criticized the delays in a viral video. Herzog admitted the transfer backfired, as negotiations that have been near securing the arms got here to a halt as a result of political backlash in Washington.
Whereas Herzog acknowledged that Biden offered army help at key moments, together with help in intercepting Iranian missiles, he stated that because the US presidential election approached, the administration’s stance towards Israel turned more and more formed by home political concerns.
“We noticed them making an attempt to stability their pro-Israel instincts with the stress coming from anti-Israel factions inside the administration,” Herzog stated.
Wanting again on the battle, Herzog argued that the Biden administration’s method weakened Israel’s skill to behave decisively, forcing Jerusalem into extended diplomatic battles over fundamental army wants.
“Ultimately, we needed to work round US stress,” he concluded. “If we had adopted all their recommendation, our enemies would have sensed weak point. As a substitute, we acted in Israel’s greatest curiosity—even when it meant standing as much as our closest ally.”
