Netanyahu to meet Biden on Thursday, Trump on Friday, Harris…? | JewishPress.com | Hana Levi Julian | 18 Tammuz 5784

Photo credit: Koby Gideon (GPO)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Friday with former President Donald Trump, currently the Republican Party’s candidate for the 2024 presidential election.

Trump had previously written on his Truth Social account that he would meet with “Bibi” on Wednesday, then edited the post to reflect a change, specifying that the meeting would take place on Thursday.

Hours later, the former president changed the time of the meeting again, writing that “at the request of Bibi Netanyahu, we have moved this meeting to Friday, July 26,” which also happens to be the birthday of Netanyahu’s eldest son, Yair, who lives in Miami.

The Israeli prime minister is expected to meet with President Joe Biden at 1 p.m. Thursday, according to the prime minister’s office.

Netanyahu is scheduled to address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Eastern time.

Harris will not participate in Netanyahu’s speech to Congress
Vice President Kamala Harris, now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee following President Joe Biden’s shock announcement earlier this week that he has decided not to seek re-election, will not attend Netanyahu’s historic fourth address to Congress.

Harris said she could not preside over Netanyahu’s speech – as she is supposed to do as vice president – because of a campaign event planned outside the Washington, D.C. area.

Senate President pro tempore Patty Murray (D-WA) would be next in line to preside over the session, given the vice president’s absence. However, Murray declined the offer and plans to boycott the event, as do a number of other congressional Democrats.

Instead, it will be outgoing Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) who will do the honors.

Blinken to referee Bibi-Biden meeting
The meeting with Biden was originally scheduled for Tuesday; however, Biden was diagnosed with COVID-19 last Friday and immediately flew to his beach house in Rehoboth, Delaware, to isolate, while postponing his meetings.

After recovering and receiving 10 doses of the antiviral drug Paxlovid, the president has now tested negative for the virus, according to White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor.

According to multiple reports, Secretary of State Antony Blinken will attend Biden’s meeting with Netanyahu, which is expected to be a “bilateral” discussion.

The White House said in a brief statement that Biden “will hold a bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu” on Thursday, and then “the president and prime minister will meet with the families of Americans held hostage by Hamas.”

Netanyahu to meet Harris, time not yet known
Harris is also expected to meet with Netanyahu, but no date or time has been announced.

During her meeting with the Israeli leader, Harris plans to reaffirm her commitment to Israel’s security and its right to defend itself.

However, Harris “will also convey her view that it is time for the war to end in a way that ensures that Israel is secure, that all hostages are freed, that the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza ends, and that the Palestinian people can enjoy their right to dignity, freedom and self-determination,” according to a Harris aide who spoke to the spokesperson. Policy news media.

Harris called on the United States to be “more determined in seeking long-term peace and a two-state solution,” a source told the outlet.

The Vice President does not seem to realize that these two goals are mutually exclusive.