President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened at the White House on Thursday afternoon, where the president emphatically expressed his desire for a prompt agreement to bring the hostages home and start a ceasefire. The Prime Minister concurred, indicating that the conditions on the Israeli side were nearly conducive to a ceasefire deal with Hamas involving hostages.
“We’re closer than we’ve ever been,” one senior administration official said. “It’s up to the Israelis to accept it.”
President Biden’s face-to-face meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu followed the Israeli leader’s address to Congress on Wednesday, which sparked protests displaying antisemitic and pro-Hamas sentiments in Washington, DC. Both President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris issued separate statements to the press, strongly condemning the protestors and any support for Hamas.
Before their meeting, the two leaders shared a light-hearted moment. Netanyahu noted that their acquaintance spanned four decades, expressing gratitude from “a proud Jewish Zionist to a proud Irish-American Zionist” for Biden’s half-century of public service and support for Israel. Biden reflected on past encounters with Israeli leaders, humorously remarking on the longevity of his career: “It goes that far back. I was merely 12 at the time.”
The meeting signified Biden’s initial engagement with a world leader following his announcement to withdraw from the 2024 race, taking place at a sensitive point in their enduring relationship. With only six months remaining in his term, the resolution to end the Israel-Hamas conflict that began in October looms large over Biden’s legacy as a single-term president. The ceasefire negotiations have experienced sporadic advancements in recent months, with Biden and his senior national security officials heavily involved in the pursuit of a settlement.
Resolving the hostage crisis is also critical for Netanyahu, given the improbability of the Israeli public tolerating an extension of the conflict with Hamas for another six months. Additionally, international pressure on Israel to conclude the war with Hamas is mounting. A further six-month delay could likely expedite the recognition of a Palestinian state, particularly within the European Union.
Additionally, before their meeting, both Biden and Netanyahu met with the families of American hostages in Gaza—a separate setting where firm pressure could be applied on Netanyahu to finalize the ceasefire agreement. “In this setting, he will truly be held accountable for his commitment to pursuing a ceasefire and a hostage deal,” stated a US official.
The urgency for Netanyahu to swiftly secure a deal was underscored by the recent expressions of frustration from families of American hostages, as well as those in Israel, over the limited contact from Netanyahu’s office. This sentiment is particularly pronounced when contrasted with the ongoing communication from senior officials of the Biden administration since the war began.
The two men concluded their meeting without engaging with the press due to the Prime Minister’s tight schedule, which included his first meeting with Vice President Harris since she became the presumptive Democratic nominee, aiming to continue the work she and the president have initiated. Harris warmly greeted Netanyahu, affirming her “unwavering commitment to the state of Israel, its security, and the Israeli people.”
While Harris has affirmed Israel’s right to self-defense and recognized the paramount importance of the hostages’ return in Gaza, she expressed to Netanyahu her deep concerns about the magnitude of human suffering in the besieged region, emphasizing the civilian casualties and the severe humanitarian crisis unfolding.
The vice president also urged Americans to remember that the war in Gaza is “not a binary issue.”
She urged everyone to condemn terrorism, violence, antisemitism, islamophobia and hate of any kind, and “do what we can” to prevent the suffering of innocent civilians.”
“Let us work to unite our country,” she concluded.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is set to meet with former President Donald Trump, the likely Republican nominee, in Florida this Friday. Meanwhile, as Netanyahu met with Biden and Harris in Washington, Trump was among the leaders urging the Prime Minister to strike a deal.
“Israel must end the war in Gaza ‘and do it quickly,'” Trump declared in a Fox News interview on Thursday, adding, “Israel is not very adept at public relations,” concluding with that remark. He argued that Israel was being ‘swamped’ by negative publicity concerning its conduct of the war, which started with an attack initiated by Hamas on Israel on October 7.
The former president has harbored resentment towards the Prime Minister since he congratulated President Biden following the 2020 elections, which Trump falsely claimed to have won. He has agreed to meet with Netanyahu, and both men hope to find common ground to restore what was once a robust relationship.
He is expected to return to Washington later that day to observe the Sabbath before departing for Israel on Saturday night.
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