US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed their commitment to working together toward a historic agreement to establish diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia during their first meeting since Netanyahu returned to power in December. While both leaders indicated their willingness to improve their relationship, Biden also made it clear that they needed to address their differences.
These differences encompassed Biden's opposition to Netanyahu's right-wing government's contentious judicial overhaul plan and his concerns about Israel's stance toward the Palestinians. Biden voiced his hope for progress at the start of the talks, which took place at a New York hotel ballroom instead of the White House, the venue preferred by Netanyahu. The leaders agreed to hold the meeting during the annual high-level UN General Assembly, and Biden invited Netanyahu to visit Washington before the year's end.
In a White House statement released after the meeting, Biden reiterated his concerns about any substantial changes to Israel's democratic system without broad consensus. He also called for immediate measures to enhance security and the economic situation, sustain a two-state solution's viability, and promote a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
While preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and supporting a two-state solution remained priorities for Biden, the most significant topic on the agenda was the US-led effort to establish diplomatic ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, part of broader and intricate negotiations that involve US security guarantees, civilian nuclear assistance sought by Riyadh, and Israeli concessions to the Palestinians.
Netanyahu expressed optimism about forging historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia under President Biden's leadership. He believed that such peace could significantly contribute to ending the Arab-Israeli conflict, reconciling the Islamic world with the Jewish state, and achieving genuine peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
A senior Biden administration official indicated that reaching a normalization deal would require concessions to the Palestinians, although the specifics weren't mentioned. The official acknowledged that a normalization agreement remained distant, and significant challenges lay ahead.
Biden and Netanyahu also engaged in a one-on-one discussion without advisers. Outside the hotel, an anti-Netanyahu protest expressed gratitude to Biden for supporting Israeli democracy.
While Netanyahu had anticipated an earlier US visit due to his extensive history of interactions with American presidents and the close US-Israeli alliance, Biden had initially resisted. However, in July, Biden welcomed Israeli President Isaac Herzog to the White House.
The talks between Biden and Netanyahu were an opportunity for Biden to brief Netanyahu and gauge Israel's willingness to participate in a potential transformative agreement that could reshape Middle Eastern geopolitics. The Netanyahu government has shown limited inclination to make significant concessions to the Palestinians, which could pose a challenge to achieving normalization with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
US officials highlighted the potential advantages of such an agreement, including reducing tensions in the Arab-Israeli conflict, strengthening the regional stance against Iran, and countering China's influence in the Gulf. It would also be a foreign policy achievement for Biden as he seeks reelection in 2024.
David Makovsky, an expert on the Middle East, noted that the meeting took place 265 days after Netanyahu's return to office, marking the longest such gap since 1964. He emphasized the enormous potential of the Saudi deal, which motivated Biden and Netanyahu to meet despite their differences.
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