Netanyahu Asserts Israel’s Independence from United States as ‘Not a Vassal State’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently clashed with President Joe Biden over Biden’s warning that an attack on the city of Rafah would be a “red line” for the U.S.

There is disagreement between Israel and the U.S. regarding the approach to the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, where around one million Palestinians are taking refuge. Netanyahu insists on entering Rafah, while Biden has labeled this as a “red line” for the U.S., as reported by Politico.

During a heated exchange with his security Cabinet last week, Netanyahu asserted that Israel is not subordinate to the United States, according to Axios.

Netanyahu drew parallels between his situation with Biden and Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben Gurion, who declared Israel’s independence against the objections of Secretary of State George Marshall at the time.

He also referenced his controversial speech to Congress in 2015, where he opposed the nuclear deal with Iran under Obama’s presidency, causing rifts in U.S.-Israel relations.

An unnamed aide recounted Netanyahu’s statement to his Cabinet, “When it comes to threats to our security, we will take whatever actions necessary.”