US-Israel relations are being tested after the State Department’s decision to impose a visa ban on Israeli settlers in the West Bank who have committed violence against Palestinians, the New York Times reports.

Washington’s decision is seen as a rebuke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuwhich did not do more to curb such attacks, the article points out.

At the same time, despite warnings from Washington, Mr. Netanyahu said the Israeli military would maintain security control of Gaza long after victory over Hamas.

For two months, biden strongly supported Israel’s right to defend itself after the October 7 attack by Hamasbut as the NYT points out, the late-night phone calls between Washington and Jerusalem have become increasingly heated, as have the public messages of some of the administration’s top officials in recent days.

The stakes are high for both sides as Netanyahu’s Israel needs the support of the Biden administration to continue to supply its forces and protect it from international pressure including the United Nations.

Mr. Bidenfrom his side, has been so closely associated with Israelfacing political attacks, especially from the left wing of his own party, who accuse him of allowing the mass slaughter of civilians.

While war continues, time is ticking backwards with White House officials acknowledging there may be a limit to how long they can continue to publicly align with Israel.

“I think US policy has a shelf life of four to six weeks”, said Cliff Kupchan, president of Eurasia Group, who had just returned from a trip to the region. “If this war is still going on in January, dissent within the Democratic Party and strong international pressure will likely force Biden to pressure Israel to scale back military operations.”