Assuming the background information is accurate, and it's notable that it's coming from the Israeli press and not the American Press, but Biden tore Netanyahu a new one behind the scenes.
Biden to Netanyahu: You're endangering our troops
This is very stark language to the Israeli PM in light of the settlement boon that was pushed on the day that Biden arrived in Israel.
People who heard what Biden said were stunned. “This is starting to get dangerous for us,” Biden castigated his interlocutors. “What you’re doing here undermines the security of our troops who are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. That endangers us and it endangers regional peace.”
The vice president told his Israeli hosts that since many people in the Muslim world perceived a connection between Israel’s actions and US policy, any decision about construction that undermines Palestinian rights in East Jerusalem could have an impact on the personal safety of American troops fighting against Islamic terrorism.
Biden connected Mideast peace to the Safety of American forces in the region. That is an amazing admission from a US administration. That actively doing nothing in the Peace process DAMAGES US interests abroad.
Further, not only Biden, but apparently Petraeus and Mullen also had a meeting with Netanyahu and their Israeli counterparts and Petraeus and Mullen, two stalwarts who hold HIGH sway with the GOP have come to conclude that Israeli intransigence is making America appear "weaker" in the eyes of the Arab states and that may be bolstering terrorists.
Here's ForeignPolicy: Petraeus and Mullen: Israel is endangering US interests
The briefers reported that there was a growing perception among Arab leaders that the U.S. was incapable of standing up to Israel, that CENTCOM's mostly Arab constituency was losing faith in American promises, that Israeli intransigence on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was jeopardizing U.S. standing in the region, and that Mitchell himself was (as a senior Pentagon officer later bluntly described it) "too old, too slow...and too late."
The January Mullen briefing was unprecedented. No previous CENTCOM commander had ever expressed himself on what is essentially a political issue; which is why the briefers were careful to tell Mullen that their conclusions followed from a December 2009 tour of the region where, on Petraeus's instructions, they spoke to senior Arab leaders. "Everywhere they went, the message was pretty humbling," a Pentagon officer familiar with the briefing says. "America was not only viewed as weak, but its military posture in the region was eroding." But Petraeus wasn't finished: two days after the Mullen briefing, Petraeus sent a paper to the White House requesting that the West Bank and Gaza (which, with Israel, is a part of the European Command - or EUCOM), be made a part of his area of operations. Petraeus's reason was straightforward: with U.S. troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. military had to be perceived by Arab leaders as engaged in the region's most troublesome conflict.
The Mullen briefing and Petraeus's request hit the White House like a bombshell.
So what's Netanyahu's response? What is Netanyahu going to do?
Ambassador Oren: US-Israel Relations at lowest in 35 yrs
Four consuls discussed the conference call with Haaretz. Some noted that in previous conference calls with Oren, the ambassador took pains to make clear that relations with the United States were excellent. This time, however, Oren sounded extremely tense and pessimistic. Oren was quoted as saying that "the crisis was very serious and we are facing a very difficult period in relations [between the two countries]."
Oren told the consuls to lobby congressmen, Jewish community leaders and the media to convey Israel's position. He said the message to be relayed was that Israel had no intention to cause offense to Vice President Biden and that the matter had stemmed from actions by junior bureaucrats in the Interior Ministry and was caused by a lack of coordination between government offices. "It should be stressed that [our] relations with the United States are very important to us," Oren reportedly said.
They want to lobby Congressmen against the Obama administration. They want US DEMOCRATIC Congressmen to lobby AGAINST our National Security for our troops in the region. This is OUTRAGEOUS. Netanyahu MUST learn that he cannot continuously snub us in the region. He is endangering our FORCES and we CANNOT let that happen.
It's already begun: JTA: Rep. Berkley is pushing back against Administration
Berkley, perhaps the most unyielding pro-Israel stalwart among Democrats in the House of Representatives, said the rebukes suggested a pro-Palestinian bias by the administration.
"Where, I ask, was the administration's outrage over the arrest and monthlong incarceration by Hamas of a British journalist who was investigating arms smuggling into Gaza?" she asked. "Where was the outrage when the Palestinian Authority this week named a town square after a woman who helped carry out a massive terror attack against Israel? It has been the PA who has refused to participate in talks for over a year, not the government of Israel. Yet once again, no concern was lodged by the administration."
Look, I believe Israel is one of our most stalwart allies in the region. They are truly our best friend around. But as Tom Friedman said in his article: "Friends don't let Friends drive drunk, and right now, Israel is driving drunk". We need to sign them up for AA.