Biden to speak to Netanyahu for the first time in a month: President set for ... trends now

President Joe Biden will speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, their first call in more than a month and as tensions are growing between the two countries over the war in Gaza.

It will be the first time the two men have talked since Biden was caught saying on a hot mic he was going to have a 'come to Jesus' meeting with Netanyahu and after Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York called on Israel to have new elections. 

Biden praised Schumer's remarks as a 'good speech' that 'expressed serious concern' shared by 'many Americans' - although he stopped short of calling for new elections.

Netanyahu snapped back at Schumer, calling his remarks 'totally inappropriate.'

'That's something that Israel, the Israeli public, does on its own,' the Israeli prime minister told CNN. 'We're not a banana republic.'

The leaders last spoke on February 15. 

Netanyahu also vowed to continue his attacks on Hamas into the southern city of Rafah where more than 1 million displaced Palestinians have fled, despite growing international pressure for a cease-fire.  

American officials have said they would not support a Rafah offensive unless Israel produced a viable plan for evacuating civilians. White House spokesman John Kirby said the administration had not seen such plans as of last Friday.

Tensions have ratched up between the U.S. and Israel over how to get food and aid into the Gaza Strip. Biden is under intense pressure at home and abroad to get a temporary ceasefire into place. 

The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 31,500, according to the Health Ministry, with another 73,500 injured. 

The UN has warned the Gaza strip faces famine conditions and Israel has not helped as much as it could in getting food and medicine into the area, citing concerns the supplies will be taken by the Hamas terrorists they are fighting against.

Last week, Schumer said Netanyahu had 'lost his way' and had become an 'obstacle to peace' due to putting together a coalition of 'far-right extremists' to lead the Israeli government in its war against Hamas after the October 7 terror attacks.

Schumer also accused Netanyahu of letting his political survival supersede “the best interests of Israel” and of being “too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza.” 

Israeli officials reacted with fury to Schumer's remarks. 

'Israel is a sovereign democracy. It is unhelpful, all the more so as Israel is at war against the genocidal terror organization Hamas, to comment on the domestic political scene of a democratic ally. It is counterproductive to our common goals,' Israel's Ambassador to the U.S., Michael Herzog said.

Biden also has show signs of frustration with Netanyahu.

He was caught on a hot mic, saying the two men will need to have a 'come to Jesus meeting.'

Biden made the comment on the House floor after his State of the Union address while he was speaking with Democratic Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

In the conversation on the House floor, which played out live on television cameras that had recorded Biden's speech, Bennet congratulated Biden on his address to the nation and urged him to  keep pressing Netanyahu on humanitarian crisis. 

Blinken nodded along in agreement.

Biden answers using Netanyahu's nickname, saying: 'I told him, Bibi, and don't

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