Jerusalem: President Joe Biden and the prime minister of Israel yair lapidy Iran’s rapidly progressing nuclear program was discussed on Thursday, after which the Israeli leader vowed “there will be no nuclear Iran.”
The US president, who is set to visit Saudi Arabia on Friday, said he also stressed the importance of Lapid being “fully integrated” in the region.
Their face-to-face conversations are the focal point of the 48-hour journey Biden Its aim is to strengthen the already tight ties between the US and Israel. The leaders are expected to sign a joint declaration later on Thursday, emphasizing military cooperation and a commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, which Israel considers its enemy.
“We discussed the Iranian threat,” Lapid later told reporters. “There will be no nuclear Iran.”
Israeli officials have sought to use Biden’s first visit to the Middle East as president to underline that Iran’s nuclear program has progressed too far and to encourage the Biden administration to revive the 2015 deal with Iran. encourages efforts to stop it so as to limit its development.
Resuming a deal brokered by Barack Obama’s administration and abandoned by Donald trump 2018 was a major priority for Biden as he entered office. But administration officials have become pessimistic about the prospect of bringing Tehran back into compliance.
In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12, which aired on Wednesday, Biden offered his determination to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power, saying he would consider using force as a “last resort” if necessary. Will be ready
Iran announced last week that it had enriched uranium to 60% purity, a technological step away from weapons-grade quality.
The joint announcement, to be announced later on Thursday, could hold significant symbolic significance for Biden’s meeting with Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia later this week as he seeks to strengthen a regional coalition against Iran.
“I talked about how important it was … for Israel to be fully integrated into the region,” Biden said after the one-on-one meeting with Lapid.
Thursday’s meeting could also give a boost to Lapid, who is serving as interim prime minister until elections in November. Lapid’s main rival is former Prime Minister Benjamin. netanyahuAnd that joint appearance with Biden could help ignite his credibility as a politician and leader.
Israel will hold its fifth election in less than four years this fall.
Biden and Lapid are also scheduled to hold a joint news conference on Thursday and participate in a virtual summit with India and the United Arab Emirates, a collection of countries known as I2U2. United Arab Emirates Will help finance a USD 2 billion project to support agriculture in India.
Lapid, 58, is a former journalist and television anchor who entered politics only a decade ago. He served as finance minister under the country’s longest-serving prime minister, Netanyahu, before becoming leader of the opposition and stitching together a diverse, eight-party coalition that ended Netanyahu’s government.
Naftali Bennett became prime minister with Lapid as his foreign minister. But the alliance broke down after months of infighting, and Bennett agreed to step aside for Lapid until the election.
Lapid worked hard to cement his credentials as a statesman while foreign minister. His aides believe that private face time, public appearances and a display of friendship with Biden – who is making his 10th visit to Israel at the age of 79 – will bolster that image and encourage voters to vote for him. Will make you feel more comfortable with the idea of Lapid as a leader.
However, Netanyahu is again running for prime minister, and opinion polls have predicted that his conservative Likud party will win the most seats in the next election, well ahead of Lapid’s centrist Yes Atid party.
Neither party is ready to single-handedly capture the majority of seats needed to form a government, and it is unclear whether either of them can form a ruling coalition with smaller parties.
Biden played down the political uncertainty in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 that aired on Wednesday.
“We are committed to the state, not individual leaders,” he said. Biden said Thursday of his meeting with Lapid: “We’ve got off to a good start to a long, God-willed relationship”
Biden is expected to meet only briefly with Netanyahu, with whom he has had a rocky relationship in the past. Most notably, when Netanyahu was prime minister, his government approved a massive settlement project in East Jerusalem while Biden was touring the country in 2010. The then Vice President, Biden, was furious.
Like Lapid, Biden also faces a political threat from his predecessor. Trump, Netanyahu’s ally, who still enjoys strong support from Republican voters despite his attempt to reverse the last election, could run for another term.
When asked by Channel 12 whether he expected a rematch, Biden replied, “I’m not predicting, but I won’t be disappointed.”
Given America’s status as Israel’s closest and most important ally, Biden is at the center of the nation’s attention during his visit.
Israel hosted an elaborate reception for them at Tel Aviv airport, which included a red carpet and a band that played the national anthems of both countries. Major television channels set up special live coverage of Biden’s arrival, and even broadcast a nonstop loop of his convoy traveling along the highway leading to Jerusalem.
Biden can expect to meet a number of politicians eager to be photographed with him, or perhaps share some information about his administration’s effort to renegotiate the Iran nuclear deal.
Israel was opposed to the original nuclear deal, signed in 2015 under President Obama, because its limits on Iran’s nuclear enrichment would expire and the deal did not address Iran’s ballistic missile program or military activities in the region. .
Israel will prioritize tougher sanctions in hopes of a more comprehensive deal, rather than the US in the deal Trump withdrew in 2018.
Biden will also receive the Presidential Medal of Honor, the nation’s top civilian honour, from Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday.
He is also scheduled to meet American athletes participating in the Maccabia Games. Also known as the “Jewish Olympics”, it is the country’s largest sporting event held every four years for Israeli and Jewish athletes from around the world.
The US president, who is set to visit Saudi Arabia on Friday, said he also stressed the importance of Lapid being “fully integrated” in the region.
Their face-to-face conversations are the focal point of the 48-hour journey Biden Its aim is to strengthen the already tight ties between the US and Israel. The leaders are expected to sign a joint declaration later on Thursday, emphasizing military cooperation and a commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, which Israel considers its enemy.
“We discussed the Iranian threat,” Lapid later told reporters. “There will be no nuclear Iran.”
Israeli officials have sought to use Biden’s first visit to the Middle East as president to underline that Iran’s nuclear program has progressed too far and to encourage the Biden administration to revive the 2015 deal with Iran. encourages efforts to stop it so as to limit its development.
Resuming a deal brokered by Barack Obama’s administration and abandoned by Donald trump 2018 was a major priority for Biden as he entered office. But administration officials have become pessimistic about the prospect of bringing Tehran back into compliance.
In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12, which aired on Wednesday, Biden offered his determination to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power, saying he would consider using force as a “last resort” if necessary. Will be ready
Iran announced last week that it had enriched uranium to 60% purity, a technological step away from weapons-grade quality.
The joint announcement, to be announced later on Thursday, could hold significant symbolic significance for Biden’s meeting with Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia later this week as he seeks to strengthen a regional coalition against Iran.
“I talked about how important it was … for Israel to be fully integrated into the region,” Biden said after the one-on-one meeting with Lapid.
Thursday’s meeting could also give a boost to Lapid, who is serving as interim prime minister until elections in November. Lapid’s main rival is former Prime Minister Benjamin. netanyahuAnd that joint appearance with Biden could help ignite his credibility as a politician and leader.
Israel will hold its fifth election in less than four years this fall.
Biden and Lapid are also scheduled to hold a joint news conference on Thursday and participate in a virtual summit with India and the United Arab Emirates, a collection of countries known as I2U2. United Arab Emirates Will help finance a USD 2 billion project to support agriculture in India.
Lapid, 58, is a former journalist and television anchor who entered politics only a decade ago. He served as finance minister under the country’s longest-serving prime minister, Netanyahu, before becoming leader of the opposition and stitching together a diverse, eight-party coalition that ended Netanyahu’s government.
Naftali Bennett became prime minister with Lapid as his foreign minister. But the alliance broke down after months of infighting, and Bennett agreed to step aside for Lapid until the election.
Lapid worked hard to cement his credentials as a statesman while foreign minister. His aides believe that private face time, public appearances and a display of friendship with Biden – who is making his 10th visit to Israel at the age of 79 – will bolster that image and encourage voters to vote for him. Will make you feel more comfortable with the idea of Lapid as a leader.
However, Netanyahu is again running for prime minister, and opinion polls have predicted that his conservative Likud party will win the most seats in the next election, well ahead of Lapid’s centrist Yes Atid party.
Neither party is ready to single-handedly capture the majority of seats needed to form a government, and it is unclear whether either of them can form a ruling coalition with smaller parties.
Biden played down the political uncertainty in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 that aired on Wednesday.
“We are committed to the state, not individual leaders,” he said. Biden said Thursday of his meeting with Lapid: “We’ve got off to a good start to a long, God-willed relationship”
Biden is expected to meet only briefly with Netanyahu, with whom he has had a rocky relationship in the past. Most notably, when Netanyahu was prime minister, his government approved a massive settlement project in East Jerusalem while Biden was touring the country in 2010. The then Vice President, Biden, was furious.
Like Lapid, Biden also faces a political threat from his predecessor. Trump, Netanyahu’s ally, who still enjoys strong support from Republican voters despite his attempt to reverse the last election, could run for another term.
When asked by Channel 12 whether he expected a rematch, Biden replied, “I’m not predicting, but I won’t be disappointed.”
Given America’s status as Israel’s closest and most important ally, Biden is at the center of the nation’s attention during his visit.
Israel hosted an elaborate reception for them at Tel Aviv airport, which included a red carpet and a band that played the national anthems of both countries. Major television channels set up special live coverage of Biden’s arrival, and even broadcast a nonstop loop of his convoy traveling along the highway leading to Jerusalem.
Biden can expect to meet a number of politicians eager to be photographed with him, or perhaps share some information about his administration’s effort to renegotiate the Iran nuclear deal.
Israel was opposed to the original nuclear deal, signed in 2015 under President Obama, because its limits on Iran’s nuclear enrichment would expire and the deal did not address Iran’s ballistic missile program or military activities in the region. .
Israel will prioritize tougher sanctions in hopes of a more comprehensive deal, rather than the US in the deal Trump withdrew in 2018.
Biden will also receive the Presidential Medal of Honor, the nation’s top civilian honour, from Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday.
He is also scheduled to meet American athletes participating in the Maccabia Games. Also known as the “Jewish Olympics”, it is the country’s largest sporting event held every four years for Israeli and Jewish athletes from around the world.