Netanyahu and Biden Meet in New York

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Joe Biden met in New York yesterday (20th) for the first time since Netanyahu returned to the premiership last December. Before gathering privately at Manhattan’s InterContinental Hotel, they disclosed that they would discuss the Iranian threat, Saudi-Israeli relations, Palestinian issues, and Netanyahu’s judicial reform plans.

Netanyahu told Biden, “Under your leadership, we can achieve historic peace with Saudi Arabia, which will advance the resolution of the Israeli-Arab conflict, promote reconciliation between the Islamic world and the Jewish state, and advance Israeli-Palestinian peace.” Biden expressed his support for Israel and the nations’ shared focus on preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

The importance of this visit can’t be understated. Concerns over Biden and Netanyahu’s relationship grew as the months passed without the two leaders arranging a meeting. To keep the indispensable U.S.-Israel relationship strong, these leaders must commit to work together earnestly, as many administrations before have done, allowing the United States and Israel to continue to flourish. Their meeting marks significant progress toward that goal.