Washington: President Joe Biden and the prime minister of Israel Naftali Bennett Will try to reset the tone of US-Israeli relations in their first on Thursday white House Meeting and finding common ground on Iran despite differences on how to deal with its nuclear program.
In talks fueled by the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the two leaders will attempt to turn the page on years of tension between Bennett’s predecessor, Benjamin. netanyahu, who was close to former President Donald Trump, and the last Democratic administration under Barack Obama was with Biden as his vice president.
In what has been planned as a low-key meeting, Bennett seeks to move beyond Netanyahu’s belligerent public style and instead manages the disagreement between Washington and its closest Middle East ally behind closed doors constructively.
The visit gives Biden an opportunity to display business as usual with a key partner while grappling with the complex situation in Afghanistan. Biden’s biggest foreign policy crisis since taking office has not only hurt his approval ratings at home, but has raised questions about his credibility, both among friends and foes.
At the top of the agenda is Iran, one of the toughest issues between the Biden administration and Israel.
Bennett, a far-right politician who ended Netanyahu’s 12-year term as prime minister in June, is expected to pressure Biden to toughen his approach towards Iran and the international stance left by Trump. Will halt talks aimed at reviving the nuclear deal.
A senior administration official said Biden would tell Bennett that he shares Israel’s concern that Iran has expanded its nuclear program, but remains committed to diplomacy with Tehran. US-Iran talks have stalled as Washington awaits the next move from Iran’s new radical president.
Briefing reporters ahead of the meeting, the official said, “Iran’s nuclear program has gone out of the box dramatically since the previous administration abandoned the Iran nuclear deal.”
The official said that if the diplomatic route with Iran fails, “there are other ways to proceed,” but did not elaborate.
Bennett has been less openly belligerent, but just as Netanyahu was adamant about doing whatever it takes to stop Iran, which Israel considers an existential threat, from building a nuclear weapon. Iran has consistently denied that it wants the bomb.
The two leaders are expected to briefly speak to a small group of journalists during their talks. Oval Office The meeting will however not be a joint news conference, limiting the potential for public disagreement.
at odds over Palestinian issues
Biden and Bennett are also divided on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Biden has renewed support for the two-state solution after Trump distanced himself from a long-standing tenet of US policy. Bennett opposes Palestinian statehood.
The consensus among Biden’s allies is that now is not the time to push for a resumption of long-dormant peace talks or major Israeli concessions, which could destabilize Bennett’s ideologically diverse coalition.
But Biden’s allies didn’t rule out asking Bennett for minor gestures to help the new US administration avoid a repeat of the fierce Israel-Hamas fighting in the Gaza Strip caught on flat-foot earlier this year .
Among the issues that could be raised in Thursday’s talks are the Biden administration’s goal of re-establishing a consulate in Jerusalem that serves Palestinians and which Trump shut down. Biden’s aides have proceeded cautiously on this issue.
The administration has also emphasized that it opposes further expansion of Jewish settlements on the occupied lands.
Bennett, 49, the son of American immigrants in Israel, has been a vocal supporter of settlement.
Biden’s advisers are also conscious that Israeli officials may be concerned about the apparent failure of US intelligence to predict the rapid collapse of Afghanistan. Taliban.
The senior US official said Biden would like to reassure Bennett that the end of the US military presence in Afghanistan does not represent “undermining the priority” of US commitment to Israel and other Middle East allies.
The senior US official said Biden will also discuss behind-the-scenes efforts with Bennett to try to get more Arab countries to normalize ties with Israel. It will follow in the footsteps of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, which reached a deal with Israel, mediated by the Trump administration.
On Wednesday, Bennett met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. They were expected to discuss, among other issues, the replenishment of iron Dome The missile defense system that Israel relies on to deter rocket attacks from Gaza.
In talks fueled by the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the two leaders will attempt to turn the page on years of tension between Bennett’s predecessor, Benjamin. netanyahu, who was close to former President Donald Trump, and the last Democratic administration under Barack Obama was with Biden as his vice president.
In what has been planned as a low-key meeting, Bennett seeks to move beyond Netanyahu’s belligerent public style and instead manages the disagreement between Washington and its closest Middle East ally behind closed doors constructively.
The visit gives Biden an opportunity to display business as usual with a key partner while grappling with the complex situation in Afghanistan. Biden’s biggest foreign policy crisis since taking office has not only hurt his approval ratings at home, but has raised questions about his credibility, both among friends and foes.
At the top of the agenda is Iran, one of the toughest issues between the Biden administration and Israel.
Bennett, a far-right politician who ended Netanyahu’s 12-year term as prime minister in June, is expected to pressure Biden to toughen his approach towards Iran and the international stance left by Trump. Will halt talks aimed at reviving the nuclear deal.
A senior administration official said Biden would tell Bennett that he shares Israel’s concern that Iran has expanded its nuclear program, but remains committed to diplomacy with Tehran. US-Iran talks have stalled as Washington awaits the next move from Iran’s new radical president.
Briefing reporters ahead of the meeting, the official said, “Iran’s nuclear program has gone out of the box dramatically since the previous administration abandoned the Iran nuclear deal.”
The official said that if the diplomatic route with Iran fails, “there are other ways to proceed,” but did not elaborate.
Bennett has been less openly belligerent, but just as Netanyahu was adamant about doing whatever it takes to stop Iran, which Israel considers an existential threat, from building a nuclear weapon. Iran has consistently denied that it wants the bomb.
The two leaders are expected to briefly speak to a small group of journalists during their talks. Oval Office The meeting will however not be a joint news conference, limiting the potential for public disagreement.
at odds over Palestinian issues
Biden and Bennett are also divided on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Biden has renewed support for the two-state solution after Trump distanced himself from a long-standing tenet of US policy. Bennett opposes Palestinian statehood.
The consensus among Biden’s allies is that now is not the time to push for a resumption of long-dormant peace talks or major Israeli concessions, which could destabilize Bennett’s ideologically diverse coalition.
But Biden’s allies didn’t rule out asking Bennett for minor gestures to help the new US administration avoid a repeat of the fierce Israel-Hamas fighting in the Gaza Strip caught on flat-foot earlier this year .
Among the issues that could be raised in Thursday’s talks are the Biden administration’s goal of re-establishing a consulate in Jerusalem that serves Palestinians and which Trump shut down. Biden’s aides have proceeded cautiously on this issue.
The administration has also emphasized that it opposes further expansion of Jewish settlements on the occupied lands.
Bennett, 49, the son of American immigrants in Israel, has been a vocal supporter of settlement.
Biden’s advisers are also conscious that Israeli officials may be concerned about the apparent failure of US intelligence to predict the rapid collapse of Afghanistan. Taliban.
The senior US official said Biden would like to reassure Bennett that the end of the US military presence in Afghanistan does not represent “undermining the priority” of US commitment to Israel and other Middle East allies.
The senior US official said Biden will also discuss behind-the-scenes efforts with Bennett to try to get more Arab countries to normalize ties with Israel. It will follow in the footsteps of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, which reached a deal with Israel, mediated by the Trump administration.
On Wednesday, Bennett met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. They were expected to discuss, among other issues, the replenishment of iron Dome The missile defense system that Israel relies on to deter rocket attacks from Gaza.
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