White House "perplexed" after Netanyahu cancels Israeli delegation's visit to US

WASHINGTON: White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said that they are "perplexed" by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to cancel Israeli delegation's visit to the US. Addressing a press briefing on Monday, Kirby said that the Israeli Prime Minister's Office appears to indicate that the US has changed, however, he added that Biden administration has not changed its approach.

When asked about US President Joe Biden's reaction to Netanyahu's decision Kirby said, "We're kind of perplexed by this. A couple of points that need to be stated and, in fact, restated. Number one, it's a nonbinding resolution. So, there's no impact at all on Israel and Israel's ability to continue to go after Hamas. Number two, as I said in my opening statement, it does not represent a change at all in our policy."

"It's very consistent with everything that we've been saying we want to get done here. And we get to decide what our policy is. The prime minister's office seems to be indicating through public statements that we somehow changed here. We haven't. And we get to decide what -- what our policy is. It seems like the prime minister's office is choosing to create a perception of daylight here when they don't need to do that. So, again, no change in our policy," he added.

Kirby's statement comes after Netanyahu on Monday cancelled a high-stakes delegation visit to Washington after the US refused to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during Ramzan. In a statement, Netanyahu's office called the US abstention "a clear departure from the consistent position of the United States at the Security Council since the beginning of the war."

The statement released by Netanyahu's office reads, "The United States has abandoned its policy in the UN today." "In light of the change in the US position, Prime Minister Netanyahu decided that the delegation will remain in Israel," it added.

The delegation was expected to arrive in the US this week to discuss the war in Gaza, as Israeli forces are threatening to enter the southern Gaza city of Rafah, a refugee camp where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering from the war, The Hill reported. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant is in Washington and is expected to meet with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin. Tensions have flared between the US and Israel over the war after over 32,000 Palestinians have died.

The rift over Rafah has intensified as the Biden administration starting calling on Israel to consider alternatives to a major ground operation. The resolution approved at the UN on Monday has called for an immediate ceasefire during Ramzan. It also calls for the release of hostages, but unlike a previous US-sponsored resolution that was not passed last week, it does not condition a ceasefire on their release, according to The Hill report.

Netanyahu's office said in the statement that the resolution "gives Hamas hope that international pressure will allow them to get a ceasefire without freeing our hostages," The Hill reported.

The statement reads, "Prime Minister Netanyahu made it clear last night that should the US depart from its principled policy and not veto this harmful resolution, he will cancel the Israeli delegation's visit to the United States" The US said it abstained from the resolution as it did not condemn Hamas.

However, it did not vote against it as the broad parameters support hostage release and a humanitarian ceasefire.