JOE Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu met in an effort to close remaining “gaps” in the push toward a Gaza ceasefire deal, the White House said Thursday.
The White House meeting came a day after Netanyahu gave a fiery speech before Congress as thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters rallied outside.
Israel’s prime minister is facing pressure both at home and abroad to end the Israel-Gaza war, which is now in its ninth month.
Netanyahu said he had known the US president for 40 years. “From a proud Jewish Zionist to a proud Irish-American Zionist, I want to thank you for 50 years of public service and 50 years of support for the state of Israel,” he said.
Netanyahu also said he looked forward to working with Biden “on the big issues facing us” over the next few months.
The US president joked that Golda Meir was the first Israeli PM he had met, and that Yitzhak Rabin, her successor, was present as an assistant.
Read also: UK PM Keir Starmer and Biden Discuss Gaza Ceasefire
The meeting follows months of tension over the war in Gaza, with Biden reaching a point in May, according to his friend and former defense secretary Chuck Hagel, where “enough was enough.”
Biden has also previously publicly threatened to withhold arms shipments if Israel launches a major offensive in Rafah, sparking anger in Israel.
Netanyahu said in June it was impossible for the Biden administration to withhold weapons and ammunition from Israel.
Read also: Dissolution of Netanyahu’s War Cabinet Does Not Change US Assessment of Gaza War
In a press conference, national security spokesman John Kirby said the two discussed the urgent need for a hostage release deal, the potential for the conflict to spill over into Lebanon, the threat from Iran, and the need to reach “compromise” in peace talks.
While Kirby added that “gaps remain” in the US-Israel relationship, the relationship is still “healthy.” “By healthy, I mean, they’re not going to agree on everything,” Kirby said, adding that Biden is “very comfortable with the relationship he has with the prime minister.”
US and Israeli leaders also held closed-door meetings with the families of seven US citizens still being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.
Read also: Netanyahu Defends Himself, Blames Hamas for Hostage Swap Failure
After the meeting, Jonathan Dekel-Chen – whose son Sagui was kidnapped from Kibbutz Near Oz on October 7 – told reporters the meeting was “productive and honest”, although he did not provide details.
“We feel probably more optimistic than we have since the first round of releases in late November, early December,” he said.
Netanyahu also met with Vice President Kamala Harris, the expected Democratic nominee after Biden announced he was withdrawing from his re-election campaign.
In a speech to the House chamber on Wednesday, Netanyahu defended Israel’s war in Gaza, while seeking to garner support from U.S. politicians. “Our enemy is your enemy,” he said, and condemned protesters as “Iran’s useful idiots.”
The White House responded to Netanyahu’s characterization of the protesters, with Kirby saying “that’s not a phrase we would use” and “not a reflection of what we think” about the “largely peaceful” protests.
Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets of Washington to accuse Netanyahu of being a “war criminal.” Their loudspeakers and chants could be heard clearly from the White House as Netanyahu arrived Thursday. Police arrested 23 people, including five inside the Capitol building.
Netanyahu’s speech was sometimes greeted with cheers, mostly led by Republicans. The Gaza war has deepened political divisions in Washington and caused friction among Democrats whose progressive wing is critical of U.S. support for Israel.
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib was seen sitting in the audience holding a sign that read “guilty of genocide.” Harris did not attend Netanyahu’s speech because of a scheduling conflict, the White House said.
Instead, she spent part of the day speaking to a crowd from the historically black fraternity Zeta Phi Beta. Harris has expressed unwavering support for Israel. But such a stance carries a political cost for Democrats.
Hundreds of thousands of protest votes were cast against Biden during the presidential primary by those who wanted him to stop sending military aid to Israel. Some of those angered by Biden’s war stance see Harris as an opportunity to mend divisions within the party, and win back votes.
Netanyahu is expected to visit Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago, Florida, residence on Friday. (BBC/Z-3)
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