A sharp diplomatic rift has emerged between the Biden administration and Israeli leadership as senior US official Amos Hochstein publicly condemned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for what he termed as “untruthful and ungrateful” statements regarding American military support.
The controversy erupted following Netanyahu’s assertion that Israeli military casualties in Gaza resulted from perceived US arms restrictions. Hochstein, a specially appointed envoy with deep ties to Israel having been born there and served in the Israeli military, delivered a stinging rebuke minutes after Netanyahu’s press conference remarks.
Hochstein’s background lends particular weight to his criticism. After his military service in the 1990s as a tank crewman, he transitioned into business and energy sectors before becoming a key diplomatic intermediary between Israeli leadership and multiple US administrations.
The US envoy detailed the substantial military assistance provided to Israel, citing over $20 billion in support—the largest in Israel’s history—along with the deployment of two aircraft carriers to the region. Hochstein emphasized that President Biden’s administration had “saved Israel at its most vulnerable moment,” making Netanyahu’s claims particularly jarring.
This criticism was echoed by another senior Biden official, Brett McGurk, who categorically denied Netanyahu’s account of arms restrictions. McGurk highlighted the administration’s achievements including securing a Gaza ceasefire, facilitating hostage returns, neutralizing Hezbollah threats in Lebanon, and countering Iranian aggression through coordinated military operations.
The White House has consistently denied implementing any comprehensive arms embargo, acknowledging only a single paused shipment of high-payload bombs due to concerns about their use in densely populated urban areas. Netanyahu revived these claims while attempting to explain his previous comments to The Economist regarding Israeli military tactics in Gaza.
This public airing of grievances reveals underlying tensions in the US-Israel relationship despite substantial American military and diplomatic support throughout recent conflicts.