President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday for the first time in more than a month amid concerns about a full-blown war in the Middle East.
The call, which Vice President Kamala Harris also took part in, comes just one day after famed Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward alleged in a new book that Biden has taken to calling Netanyahu a “f**king liar” and a “son of a bitch” in private as Israel’s war against Hamas and Hezbollah continues to escalate.
Reports also indicate that Netanyahu and former President Donald Trump spoke just days after Iran launched more than 180 missiles at Israel earlier in October.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed the call lasted roughly 30 minutes, was “direct” and “productive,” and covered a “range of issues.” However, she declined to provide any further details despite multiple attempts by reporters during Wednesday’s press briefing to glean information about hopes of brokering a ceasefire deal and hostage exchange or the ongoing fighting.
“I’m not going to get into hypotheticals,” Jean-Pierre responded when asked if Netanyahu told Biden about whether he had decided to launch strikes against Iran’s oil and energy infrastructure, as reported. “We’re continuing discussions with Israel on their response to Iran’s attack last week. I’m not going to dive into it. I’m not going not going to get into it from here.”
“The president and the prime minister have known each other for decades, and their conversations, their relationship, have always been honest and direct,” she added after being asked if Biden and Netanyahu’s relationship had grown strained. “This 30-minute conversation that they had today was also direct and very productive.”
When asked if Netanyahu told Biden that he would give the United States advance notice of any retaliatory action against Iran, Jean-Pierre responded by saying “the discussions will continue.”
“How Israel is going to respond to that attack, to the attack from Iran last week, those discussions continue,” she closed. “I’m not going to get into details.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
You can watch Wednesday’s briefing in full below.