Netanyahu to meet Biden in US, seeks high-level meeting with Trump

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to leave Monday morning for his first visit to Washington since returning to power in late 2022. He is due to meet with US President Joe Biden, who announced on Sunday that he was withdraw from the presidential race.

Netanyahu and Biden are scheduled to meet Tuesday, and on Wednesday, Netanyahu will address a joint session of Congress. He will also meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

Photo: JACK GUEZ / AFP, Naom Rivkin Fenton, REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

The prime minister’s advisers have tried to arrange a meeting with former President Donald Trump, but without success. They are nevertheless hopeful that a meeting can be arranged during Netanyahu’s visit.

Netanyahu could also travel to New York or Florida, where his eldest son has been living for several months. The prime minister could extend his visit to spend the weekend with Yair and celebrate his birthday on Friday.

THE speech to congress This is the central focus of Netanyahu’s trip, which aims to gain international legitimacy for continuing the war. Part of his speech will be devoted to the Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza and the acts of heroism during the Hamas attack.

Netanyahu will highlight the special relationship between Israel and the United States and thank President Biden for his unwavering support, including military aid since the start of the war. He will also address the threat of a nuclear Iran, the dangers of Hezbollah in the north and the threat of Houthi rebels in Yemen after Friday’s war. drone attack in Tel Aviv.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said he was pleased that the delegation had been given the green light to resume negotiations, saying the fate of the hostages depends on reaching an agreement in the coming weeks.

An official stressed that the delegation was expected to finalize the details of the deal, with most aspects having already been approved. A source involved in the process said: “We are at the finish line before an agreement. We can finalize the deal if there is an agreement on Rafah and the return of residents to the northern part of the Gaza Strip. The head of the Mossad will go to Doha, and there is a real chance that an agreement will be finalized.”