Did Joe Biden call Netanyahu a f**king liar? Bob Woodward's new book tells all

US President Joe Biden has reportedly described Benjamin Netanyahu as a "f**king liar", according to a new book by US journalist Bob Woodward, highlighting Biden's frustrations towards the Israeli prime minister.

The veteran author and reporter, known for his portfolio spanning decades such as his report on the Watergate scandal, details in his new book insights from private conversations involving several world leaders, including Biden, Kamila Harris and Donald Trump.

Woodward's 'War' book reveals that Biden's comments were one of my examples which illustrated the strained relationship between both leaders.

According to the book, the suspected rift was exacerbated by Biden's growing frustrations over the Gaza war, which this week passed its one-year mark.

Woodward wrote that Biden’s "frustrations and distrust" of Netanyahu reached a boiling point this spring, culminating in a private, expletive-laden outburst where Biden referred to the Israeli leader as a "Son of a b****" and a "bad f**king guy".

Biden felt that Netanyahu was repeatedly lying to him, especially as the Israeli prime minister insisted on eradicating every last member of Hamas - an objective Biden viewed as impossible. 

Woodward also recounted Biden threatening, both in private and publicly, to withhold offensive US weapons if Netanyahu continued with such rhetoric. 

Despite having known each other for years, Biden and Netanyahu's relationship was never close. 

Last week, Biden expressed uncertainty about whether Netanyahu was deliberately stalling a Mideast peace deal to influence the 2024 US presidential election. 

Following the release of details from Woodward's yet-to-be-released book, White House spokesperson Emilie Simons reiterated that the US's commitment to Israel had remained "ironclad."  

While declining to comment on specific revelations from the book, Simons noted that Biden and Netanyahu had a "very honest and direct" relationship. 

Woodward's book also reveals that Vice President Kamala Harris faced criticism from Netanyahu’s administration, accusing her of taking a two-faced approach in dealing with the Israeli Prime Minister during the ongoing wars in Gaza and Lebanon.  

The book claimed that after a July meeting with Netanyahu, during which Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, her public remarks condemning the military campaign's toll and pledging "not to be silent" on Palestinian suffering angered Netanyahu. 

According to the book, Israel's ambassador to Washington, Michael Herzog, reportedly said: "She wants to be tough in public. But she wasn’t as tough privately."

The incident was one of several highlighted in the book which portrayed Harris as a loyal deputy to Biden but with little influence over major foreign policy decisions. 

Woodward also shared accounts of other leaders such as Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. 

His book claimed that as COVID-19 began spreading in 2020 Trump had sent Putin COVID-19 testing machines for his personal use. 

Putin allegedly advised Trump to keep it secret to avoid public backlash, but while Trump initially said he didn’t care if people knew, he ultimately agreed to remain silent. 

In response to these allegations, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung dismissed them, calling Woodward's claims "made up stories" and accusing the journalist of suffering from "Trump Derangement Syndrome".

The book also touches on US Senator Lindsey Graham’s perspective, stating that Graham blamed Trump’s persistent false claims about the 2020 election on a "cult of personality," with Trump’s inner circle reinforcing these beliefs.  

Graham compared Trump’s Mar-a-Lago to North Korea, where attendees would stand and applaud every time the former president entered a room.  

Woodward also notes that Graham’s influence contributed to Trump’s decision to run for president again. During a Middle East visit in March, Graham met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who, according to the book, pulled out a phone from a bag of burner phones labelled "TRUMP 45" to call Trump. 

On another occasion, the Saudi leader used a different burner phone labeled "JAKE SULLIVAN" to contact Biden’s national security adviser. 

The book 'War', set for release on October 15, focuses on the intersection of three ongoing conflicts. 

Covering the period from January 6, 2021, to mid-August 2024, the book originally centred on the war in Ukraine, starting with Russia's military buildup.  

Following Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Woodward expanded the scope to include the Middle East.