Israel claims Biden is trying to ‘overthrow Bibi’: Top official in Netanyahu’s government says US intelligence report saying his leadership is ‘in jeopardy’ is part of bid to oust him

An Israeli official has accused the Biden administration of trying to undermine Prime Minister Netanyahu after a US report cited a ‘distrust’ in his ability to govern.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said Netanyahu’s “viability as a leader may also be at risk.”

The report, published on Monday, also said the US expects large protests demanding Netanyahu’s resignation and elections in the coming months.

In an answer seen by Axiosa senior official released a statement saying: ‘Those who elect Israel’s prime minister are the citizens of Israel and no one else.

“Israel is not a vassal state of the United States, but an independent and democratic country whose citizens elect the government.”

In recent weeks, President Biden has sharpened his rhetoric about the Israeli response to Hamas’ terrorist attack on October 7.

His administration has grown increasingly unhappy with the rising number of civilian deaths, now more than 30,000, in Gaza from bombings and ground operations.

The statement from the Israeli official added: ‘We expect our friends to act to topple the terrorist regime of Hamas and not the elected government of Israel.’

Biden has repeatedly criticized Israel’s heavy-handed approach, calling it ‘over the top’ and calling for a ceasefire to help starving civilians.

Then, after the State of the Union, he was caught on a hot mic telling fellow Democrats that he planned to have a ‘come to Jesus’ meeting with Netanyahu.

The rift between the two has raised questions about whether Biden might limit military aid if Israel goes ahead with a ground offensive in Gaza.

Any decision by Biden, who has called himself a “Zionist,” to get tough on Israel would run counter to his decades-old history as an ardent supporter of the country.

Netanyahu hit back at Biden on Monday morning, laying out his own red line in Gaza.

Speaking to ‘Fox and Friends’, he told the broadcast: ‘Look, it’s either Israel or Hamas. There is no middle ground. I mean we have to get that win.

‘We can’t have three quarters of victory. We cannot have two-thirds of a victory because Hamas will reconstitute itself with these four battalions in Rafah, recapture the Gaza Strip and carry out the October 7 massacre again and again and again.

And for us, Israel, it is not only for me, but for the people of Israel, a red line. We cannot let Hamas survive.’

Biden initially stood with Netanyahu as his strongest supporter, supporting his war goal of destroying Hamas and arguing that a ceasefire would simply give the group a chance to rearm and reorganize.

But with other world leaders taking a harder line against Israel, Biden has seen the left wing of his own party revolt.

On Saturday, he warned Netanyahu that his approach undermined Israel’s own interests and drew a red line.

“(Netanyahu) has the right to defend Israel, the right to continue to pursue Hamas,” he told MSNBC in an interview.

“But he must, he must, he must pay more attention to the fact that innocent lives are being lost as a result of the actions.

‘He’s hurting, in my opinion, he’s hurting Israel more than helping Israel by doing the rest of the world… it’s the opposite of what Israel stands for. And I think it’s a big mistake.’

The president was asked if there was any ‘red line’ for his support for Israel, such as the invasion of the city of Rafah.

“It’s a red line, but I will never leave Israel,” he said, refusing to cut off military sales to Israel.

Asked about potential limits on guns, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Tuesday that he would not engage in ‘hypotheticals’ and that news reports about Biden’s thinking on the issue were ‘uninformed speculation’.