A prominent Israeli investigative program has reported that the Biden administration considered ways to remove Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to his opposition to U.S. proposals regarding the future of Gaza, as reported by Newsmax.
The report aired on April 27 by Channel 13’s HaMakor (“The Source”), hosted by Raviv Drucker, includes interviews with several former senior members of the Biden White House.
The episode, titled All the President’s Men, featured conversations with nine former officials, including ex-U.S. Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides, former national security adviser Jake Sullivan, and former senior Biden adviser Amos Hochstein.
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Among those interviewed was Ilan Goldenberg, who now serves as senior vice president and chief policy officer at the Washington-based group J Street.
Goldenberg told HaMakor that frustration within the White House grew as Netanyahu resisted engaging in discussions about who would govern Gaza following the Israeli military’s campaign to remove Hamas from power.
Goldenberg said the U.S. envisioned a transitional security force made up of Egyptians or other Arab partners before turning over Gaza’s administration to Palestinian authorities.
According to Goldenberg, the Prime Minister’s Office opposed this plan, despite openness from other Israeli figures, including opposition leaders Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, the Defense Ministry, and Israel’s internal security agency, Shin Bet.
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Goldenberg stated, “There were a lot of people who are talking about, including in the Oval Office, at times, the idea of…the president going out and giving a speech,” in reference to President Biden possibly intervening in Israeli politics.
The suggested speech would outline a stark choice to the Israeli public: accept a ceasefire deal with hostage releases or continue a prolonged conflict.
The goal, according to the interview, was to pressure Netanyahu into agreement or potentially destabilize his government enough to trigger early elections.
Biden’s popularity in Israel at the time, combined with Gantz’s rise in polls, led some inside the White House to consider whether direct messaging from the U.S. president could help shift Israeli public sentiment.
Goldenberg said, “Gantz was at 37 and Bibi was like at 15 … he was very weak,” citing polling from late 2023.
The administration ultimately did not act on the idea, according to Drucker.
While Biden did publicly criticize Netanyahu in early 2024—calling the Israeli offensive in Gaza “over the top” in February and saying Netanyahu was “hurting Israel more than helping it” in March—he refrained from taking direct action.
Then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also condemned Netanyahu on the Senate floor in March 2024 and called for new elections in Israel, stating Netanyahu had “lost his way.”
The HaMakor report adds to ongoing concerns about U.S. involvement in Israeli internal affairs.
The Biden administration has previously faced accusations of supporting political groups opposed to Netanyahu through funding channeled via the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency investigated whether USAID funding was directed toward Israeli NGOs campaigning against judicial reforms.
While the department did not find direct proof, it cited inadequate oversight and accountability in grant distribution.
In response, the Netanyahu-led coalition introduced legislation in the Knesset that would tax foreign donations to Israeli nonprofits at 80%, up from the current tax-exempt status. The bill remains under consideration in Israel’s legislative process.
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