The reason is that the Biden administration has made abundantly clear over the past year that it has chosen not to dictate the terms of its own Middle East policy. It has repeatedly allowed Netanyahu and the rest of Israel’s leadership to do so instead.

At the White House press briefing, President Biden was asked if he thought Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was trying to influence the U.S. presidential election by saying he would not sign any diplomatic agreement for peace with Hamas before the election.

President Biden on Friday said he wasn’t aware of whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was trying to influence the U.S. election, while noting no administration has been a stronger ally to Israel than his own.