Washington DC – US President Joe Biden held talks on the White Home with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a day after hundreds of individuals protested towards the Israeli chief’s go to to the US capital amid the Gaza warfare.
US Vice President Kamala Harris, a probable Democratic presidential candidate within the November election, can also be set to fulfill with Netanyahu afterward Thursday.
The talks come after the Israeli prime minister made a fiery defence of Israel’s warfare in Gaza, which has killed greater than 39,000 Palestinians and created a humanitarian disaster, in a speech to a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday.
A number of US lawmakers boycotted the speech and hundreds of protesters gathered on the US Capitol to name on Washington to droop army help to its “staunch” ally within the Center East. Extra protesters additionally gathered outdoors the White Home on Thursday.
The Biden administration has continued to supply unwavering help to Israel amid the Gaza battle, authorizing billions of {dollars} in army help and offering Israel with key diplomatic backing.
U.S. officers stated Biden deliberate to press Netanyahu throughout their White Home assembly to finalize a three-phase ceasefire cope with Hamas that Biden first unveiled in Might.
Talking from the Oval Workplace earlier than the talks started, Netanyahu stated he “seemed ahead” to working with Biden, who dropped out of the 2024 election race on Sunday, for the rest of his time period.
“I stay up for it, too,” Biden replied.
Earlier than the assembly, White Home Nationwide Safety Council spokesman John Kirby stated he believed a Gaza truce settlement was shut. “We consider the variations may be narrowed,” Kirby stated in a video assertion.
“We consider it’s completely pressing that these hostages return dwelling to their households, the place they belong, and {that a} ceasefire is put in place, in order that we will work in the direction of a cessation of hostilities there in Gaza,” he stated.
Biden and Netanyahu additionally met with the households of Individuals held captive in Gaza earlier than the Israeli prime minister held talks with Harris, who has been catapulted into the position of doubtless Democratic presidential nominee.
Whereas Harris has been comparatively extra outspoken than different members of the administration in regards to the humanitarian toll in Gaza, a senior administration official informed reporters that “there isn’t any readability between the president and the vice chairman” on Israel, in accordance with The Related Press.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden met on the White Home with the households of the American hostages: the Siegel household, the Alexander household, the Dekel-Chen household, the Naftali household, the Neutra household, the Goldberg-Polin household and the Chen household. picture.twitter.com/r9j8zbbGYk
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) July 25, 2024
‘A lot tougher’
Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher stated the White Home has indicated that Biden, who’s not searching for re-election, is predicted to take a harder stance with Netanyahu than in earlier exchanges throughout the warfare.
“Whereas there have been heat phrases throughout Netanyahu’s speech to the joint session of Congress on Wednesday, the fact is that he and Joe Biden have been at odds over the way in which the warfare has been performed for a while,” Fisher stated forward of the assembly.
“What we’re listening to from the White Home is that Joe Biden can be a lot harder on Benjamin Netanyahu this time,” he defined.
“And it’s important to have a look at it from Joe Biden’s standpoint, fascinated by his legacy. He want to see a ceasefire settlement, one thing that he has fought for, one thing that his workforce negotiated.”
Nonetheless, former president and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, a staunch supporter of Israel throughout his tenure within the White Home, has been very current at Netanyahu’s go to.
The Israeli prime minister took time to reward a lot of Trump’s actions whereas in workplace throughout his speech to Congress.
Netanyahu highlighted the Trump-brokered Abraham Accords, which noticed Israel set up ties with a number of Arab international locations, in addition to Trump’s determination to maneuver the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and acknowledge Israel’s declare to the Syrian-occupied Golan Heights.
Netanyahu will meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida on Friday.
The Israeli chief is predicted to attempt to restore ties with the previous president, who had beforehand condemned Netanyahu for accepting Biden’s victory within the 2020 presidential election.
Talking to Fox Information on Thursday, Trump stated it was “very good” that Netanyahu referred to him throughout his speech.
Nonetheless, he stated Israel wanted to behave extra rapidly to finish the warfare in Gaza, if solely to restore its “public relations.”
“Israel must maintain its PR. Its PR will not be good. The world will not be taking it calmly,” Trump stated, including that Hamas’s assaults on southern Israel on October 7 wouldn’t have occurred if he had been president.
