Netanyahu appears to have surrendered to Biden

The New York Post suggests that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has just surrendered to President Joe Biden. 

The outlet claims that Netanyahu did so when he decided, over the weekend, to withdraw Israeli forces from southern Gaza.

This came after Biden's recent meeting with Netanyahu, a meeting during which Biden called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

According to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Biden, during the meeting, "underscored, as well, that an immediate cease-fire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians and urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to conclude a deal without delay to bring the hostages home."

Did Netanyahu just surrender to Biden?

He is claiming that he did not.

ABC News reports, "The withdrawal Sunday of Israeli troops from Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip was done to prepare forces for future missions, including in Rafah, according to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant."

The outlet goes on to quote Gallant as saying, "The withdrawal of troops from Khan Younis was carried out once Hamas ceased to exist as a military framework in the city. Our forces left the area in order to prepare for their future missions, including their mission in Rafah."

This is the narrative that Israel is now attempting to get the world to buy into.

But, according to the Post, there is a bigger problem here for Israel - one that this narrative can't help.

It's all about this:

According to the Post, what is important here is not whether Israel surrendered to Biden or temporarily withdrew to consolidate its forces. Rather, what is important, according to the outlet, is how Israel's enemies perceive the withdrawal.

"[W]hether this is a strategic reset under American duress or a tactical realignment ahead of an eventual ground operation to destroy Hamas’ four remaining battalions in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, what should worry Jerusalem the most is how its enemies perceive its actions," the outlet reports.

The Post goes on to note that it could be catastrophic for Israel if Israel's enemies come to believe that the United States no longer supports Israel.

The Post reports:

While the world has been consumed by last week’s tragic and mistaken Israeli strike on a World Central Kitchen aid convoy, Israel’s military and intelligence officials have been consumed by the potential for a major escalation with Iran and Hezbollah — two enemies with a lot more destruction potential than four Hamas battalions in southern Gaza.

"Israel cannot afford to lose military support from the United States at such a critical hour." the Post concludes.