US President Joe Biden will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the latter’s visit to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, Israeli media reported.
“I am now leaving for the UN General Assembly where I will represent Israel before the nations of the world,” the Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post cited Netanyahu as saying.
“I will also meet with many world leaders, especially President Biden, with whom I will discuss – first and foremost, but among other topics – Iran and expanding the circle of peace,” Netanyahu reportedly added.
The US National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, said in a statement that the two leaders will “discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues focused on the shared democratic values between the United States and Israel and a vision for a more stable and prosperous and integrated region, as well as to compare notes on effectively countering and deterring Iran”.
This is the first face-to-face meeting since Netanyahu returned to office, last December.
“While Netanyahu had been eagerly awaiting an invitation from the White House, it has yet to materialize,” The Jerusalem Post highlighted.
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According to the Axios news site, Biden’s decision to meet Netanyahu on the sidelines of the UNGA came after “a long internal debate over political optics and foreign policy considerations”.
“The expected meeting in New York next week will be the first in-person between Netanyahu and Biden since the prime minister returned to office nearly nine months ago — a highly unusual delay considering the close alliance between the US and Israel,” Axios reported.
During his visit to the United States, Netanyahu is also supposed to meet with US billionaire Elon Musk to “discuss potential investments in Israeli companies,” according to the Israeli newspaper.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
