Gaza Agreement: Biden « Freed » from Elections Pressures Netanyahu
A tense relationship has characterized the interactions between U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since the latter took office in December 2022.
This unusual relationship between the White House occupant and the Israeli Prime Minister was evident in the delay of Netanyahu’s reception at the White House until Thursday.
During their meeting at the White House, President Biden, who announced his withdrawal from the presidential race, urged Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza as soon as possible, appearing to exert pressure after freeing himself from the constraints of the electoral race.
A White House statement said, “President Biden expressed the need to bridge the remaining gaps, finalize the agreement as soon as possible, bring the hostages home, and achieve a sustainable end to the war in Gaza.”
The statement added that Biden and Netanyahu “discussed in detail the developments in Gaza and the ongoing negotiations regarding the ceasefire and the release of hostages.”
According to the statement, Biden and Netanyahu also discussed the “humanitarian crisis” in Gaza and the need to remove obstacles hindering the flow of humanitarian aid to the sector.
During his meeting with Netanyahu, Biden emphasized “the critical importance of protecting civilian lives during military operations,” according to the statement.
Biden also reaffirmed “the United States’ unwavering commitment to Israel’s security against all threats from Iran and its proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.”
In his speech to Congress last Wednesday night, Netanyahu thanked President Biden for his “sincere” support for Israel following the October 7th attack, describing him as “a great friend of Israel proud of his Zionism.”
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He added that “Biden deployed two aircraft carriers to prevent the war from expanding and visited Israel in its darkest moments, and we will never forget that visit.”
After announcing his withdrawal from the presidential race, Biden confirmed that reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and bringing all the hostages back were his top priorities during the remainder of his term in the White House.
