Washington – President Joe Biden will finally have a chance to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but not at the White House.
Netanyahu and Biden will meet on Wednesday while both are in New York for the UN General Assembly, according to a White House announcement made on Friday. Since Netanyahu’s return to office in December, this will be their first in-person meeting.
Biden and the Israeli leader will discuss a number of regional concerns focusing on shared democratic ideals and a more secure, affluent region, according to White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Additionally, they will swap notes on how to successfully deal with Iran and limit its impact.
The two long-time allies are currently experiencing tough relations, which is why they are meeting. According to reports, Netanyahu was irate that he hadn’t received a White House invitation since taking power again. Instead of inviting Netanyahu, Biden met with the mostly ceremonial Israeli President Isaac Herzog in July, which led to some embarrassment.
When Biden attacked Israel’s court changes earlier this year and said he wouldn’t invite Netanyahu to the White House until the promised judicial reforms are put into effect, tensions increased. Following rallies and mass strikes, Biden expressed concern about the situation of democracy in Israel. According to him, Netanyahu’s cabinet is the most right-wing in Israeli history, and the US is regularly in contact with the Israeli government “trying to lessen what is happening.”
In August, Netanyahu’s administration declared that he had finally been extended a White House invitation. The two leaders will only “meet somewhere in the United States” in the fall, according to the White House.
Despite the difficulty of the process, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that the United States is striving to normalize political ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel in order to reach a “transformative” accord.
Blinken responded that the Biden administration aims to advance “many issues of concern” when asked about the potential deal’s ramifications for the United States in light of Saudi Arabia’s recent refusal to raise oil production and Israel’s effort to expand contentious settlements. He observed that the negotiations between the two nations had made the area “much, much quieter” and that the custodians of Islam’s holiest shrines would recognize the Jewish state, which would be “a very powerful statement.”
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Blinken claimed that the region would be “defined by integration,” which would be “a singular positive event,” and that “we have been drawn to this region repeatedly when it was in turmoil, when it was in conflict.”
The Saudi leadership has made it clear that a “vital element” for the Palestinians will be required, according to Blinken, who added that any prospective agreement would be “no substitute for resolving differences between Israel and the Palestinians.”