Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who took office in June as part of an ideologically diverse coalition, is set to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House today. Bennett told the New York Times he plans to dissuade Biden from reviving the nuclear deal with Iran and said he will not support U.S. plans to reopen a consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem.
Both leaders have suggested they aim for a reset in the U.S.-Israel relationship following the departure of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after twelve years. Still, Biden and Bennett hold different positions (Reuters) on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including on Israeli settlement building and Palestinian statehood. Today’s meeting is also expected to cover (Bloomberg) the possibility of visa-free travel between the countries and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Analysis
“In stark opposition [to Netanyahu], Bennett’s stated policy is to voice Israel’s concerns discreetly while avoiding a public clash with the Biden administration,” the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Or Rabinowitz writes in Foreign Policy.
“Biden’s team will no more want a return of Netanyahu than Bennett and [his coalition partner Yair] Lapid do, so both sides will have a strong incentive to test whether Bennett’s ideas can provide a way forward
