A startling disclosure by a former Biden administration official sheds light on internal efforts to remove Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from power following the October 7 Hamas attack.
Breitbart reports that Ilan Goldenberg, who previously served as an aide to President Joe Biden and later became the Jewish outreach director for Vice President Kamala Harris's presidential campaign, revealed the administration's attempts to leverage Netanyahu's temporary unpopularity to force political change in Israel.
The revelation came during Goldenberg's interview with Israel's Channel 13, where he detailed the administration's strategic considerations in the aftermath of the Hamas terror attack.
Biden officials saw an opportunity to capitalize on the president's high approval ratings among Israelis while Netanyahu's popularity had plummeted, particularly after Hamas broke an early hostage release agreement.
According to Goldenberg, discussions in the Oval Office centered around potential ways to pressure Netanyahu into compliance or trigger political upheaval. The administration believed they could use Biden's popularity in Israel as leverage, noting that opposition leader Benny Gantz was polling at 37 seats while Netanyahu's numbers had dropped to approximately 15.
The former aide's comments revealed that the administration considered various approaches, including non-democratic methods. Goldenberg's statement suggests that officials were willing to explore unconventional means to achieve their objective.
In March 2024, these behind-the-scenes efforts became more apparent when Biden publicly supported Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's call for new elections in Israel to remove Netanyahu.
Despite the administration's efforts, Netanyahu managed to recover his standing among Israeli voters. His decision to launch an offensive into Rafah, against Biden's wishes, proved successful in rescuing hostages and eliminating Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
The administration's proposed deal with Hamas faced significant obstacles, as the terrorist organization consistently rejected negotiations. Hamas never made firm commitments regarding the release of all Israeli hostages.
Netanyahu's defiance of international pressure and subsequent military achievements helped restore his political position within Israel. The successful Rafah operation marked a turning point in public opinion.
Goldenberg shared the administration's internal discussions about potential strategies, revealing:
There were a lot of people who were talking about, including in the Oval Office, at times, the idea of, like, the president going out and giving a speech. ... You can end the war, get all the hostages out, get a deal that includes even, you know, maybe even trying to have elements of Hamas to leave — or you keep doing what you're doing, and Israel's in a forever war, you know, your sons and daughters are going to keep fighting, most of the hostages are going to come home dead. ... The idea would be to either force Netanyahu to come on board with that, or scramble Israeli politics, and see if you can trigger elections, or God knows what. That's what people were saying — like, let's just break this up 'cause it's not going anywhere good.
Ilan Goldenberg, who led efforts to sanction right-wing Israelis during his time in the Biden administration, revealed the White House's attempts to influence Israeli politics following the October 7 Hamas attack.
The administration sought to capitalize on Netanyahu's temporary unpopularity and Biden's high approval ratings among Israelis to force political change. Despite these efforts, Netanyahu's successful military operations in Rafah, which resulted in hostage rescues and the elimination of key Hamas leadership, ultimately strengthened his position and thwarted the administration's attempts to remove him from power.
