Biden and Harris to meet separately with Netanyahu at the White House

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are scheduled to fulfill individually with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the White Home on Thursday amid the 2024 election race shakeup and because the administration nonetheless pushes for a cease-fire settlement.

Biden will host Netanyahu within the Oval Workplace at round 1 p.m. ET, and the 2 leaders are scheduled to fulfill with households of American hostages held hostage in Gaza round 2:30 p.m. within the White Home Cupboard Room.

This would be the first time the 2 will meet in individual since Biden visited Israel shortly after Hamas’ terrorist assault on Oct. 7.

Harris will converse with Netanyahu round 4:30 p.m. within the vp’s ceremonial workplace, a gathering that’s thought-about much more high-stakes now that she’s working for president following Biden’s resolution to withdraw from the race. Harris missed Netanyahu’s speech earlier than a joint assembly of Congress on Wednesday due to a beforehand scheduled occasion in Indianapolis. Usually, the vp presides over joint addresses.

A senior administration official informed reporters Wednesday that Biden will talk about his “ironclad dedication to Israel’s safety, the very critical threats from Iran and from Iranian proxy and terrorist teams, together with Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis.”

The official stated the 2 leaders are anticipated to talk “in depth” about developments in Gaza, together with efforts to succeed in a cease-fire settlement and the humanitarian disaster. The administration believes {that a} deal “is within the closing phases and it’s reaching a degree that we consider a deal is closable, and it’s time to maneuver to shut that settlement,” the official stated.

For her half, Harris has been engaged on the Israel-Gaza battle for the final 10 months, the official stated, together with taking part in each name with Netanyahu in addition to crucial conferences like these with hostage households.

An aide to Harris stated the vp will proceed her intensive engagement on Gaza through the assembly, underscore Israel’s must defend itself, and condemn the Oct. 7 assault.

Harris will convey her view that it’s time for the warfare to finish in a approach that may hold Israel safe, launch all hostages, finish the struggling of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, and permit the Palestinian folks to get pleasure from their proper to dignity, freedom, and self-determination, the aide stated. They may even talk about efforts to succeed in settlement on the cease-fire deal.

In his speech earlier than Congress, Israel’s prime minister thanked Biden “for his tireless efforts on behalf of the hostages and for his efforts to the hostage households as properly.”

“There’ll clearly be no daylight between the president and the vp,” the official stated, including they count on for a productive day as a result of the Israelis shall be on the White Home for some time on Thursday.

Netanyahu additionally thanked Biden for his management in his speech.

“I thank President Biden for his heartfelt help for Israel after the savage assault on Oct. seventh,” Netanyahu stated. “He rightly known as Hamas ‘sheer evil.’ He dispatched two plane carriers to the Center East to discourage a wider warfare. And he got here to Israel to face with us throughout our darkest hour — a go to that may by no means be forgotten.”

“President Biden and I’ve recognized one another for over 40 years,” he continued. “I wish to thank him for half a century of friendship to Israel and for being, as he says, a proud Zionist. Truly, he says, a proud Irish American Zionist.”

Netanyahu is scheduled to fulfill with former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday.