Biden and Netanyahu to have long-anticipated awkward encounter at UN

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
17 Sep 2023 19:42

After a long wait by Netanyahu, the US President is considering a meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister amid strained ties.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and then US Vice-President Joe Biden pose for the media prior to a meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016. (AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden are set to meet nine months into the latter's return to office, fulfilling a long-standing request. However, not many believe that this anticipated encounter could push the two to reconcile and mend their strained relationship.

The White House reported on Friday that the US president is scheduled to meet Netanyahu in New York on Wednesday. According to Jake Sullivan, the US national security advisor, the two leaders would "discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues."

What are the two expected to discuss?

The White House advisor stated that the anticipated meeting would focus on the alleged "shared democratic values" between the United States and "Israel." This is in reference to what Sullivan believes has caused deep unease in the White House regarding Netanyahu's judicial overhaul. Speaking for the White House, he considers it "an assault on the judiciary independence."

Moreover, the two leaders are expected to discuss a plan for stability, a more "prosperous region," and talk about "effectively countering and deterring Iran."

Why the strained relationship?

Sullivan's mention of shared democratic values alludes to the profound concerns within Biden's White House regarding the extensive judicial reforms advocated by Netanyahu's staunch coalition partners. These reforms are viewed as a direct challenge to the autonomy of the judiciary.

These proposals have sparked the largest protest movement in the occupation's history, prompting thousands of military reservists to make unprecedented requests to be relieved of their service obligations.

This has been the primary rationale behind Biden's reluctance to meet with Netanyahu during his current term and constitutes the key reason why the sought-after meeting in the White House will not take place.

Furthermore, the Biden administration has conveyed its exasperation with the rapid expansion of Israeli settlements in the Occupied West Bank, a matter deemed by the international community as a significant impediment to achieving peace with the Palestinians and realizing the unwelcome "two-state solution."

Israelis are desperate for a Biden-Netanyahu meeting

The announcement coincided with appeals from prominent Israeli artists and intellectuals, such as the renowned writer David Grossman and the painter Tamar Getter, urging the US president to completely avoid a meeting with Netanyahu.

"From the outset of establishing his extreme right-wing government, Netanyahu’s coalition has worked tirelessly to weaken the supreme court, neutralize the media, and destroy the few checks and balances safeguarding the health of our nation," an open letter published last week and signed by 3,500 Israeli academics and public figures read.

“Netanyahu incites citizens against each other, threatens the country’s security and economy, and turns his face away from the historical conflict that tears Israel apart – the forceful domination of the Palestinian people.”

Who needs whom?

Earlier this month, the Israeli PM announced his upcoming visit to the United States, emphasizing the strong alliance between the two, with the US providing billions in military aid annually. Initially, there were no official meetings with US officials announced, an unusual occurrence for visiting Israeli prime ministers.

Biden had earlier stated in the year that he had no immediate plans to meet with Netanyahu. However, in July, his office confirmed a meeting had been arranged. Netanyahu's office promptly announced that he had received an invitation to meet the US president, although the Biden administration refrained from characterizing it as such and did not specify the meeting's location.

According to reports from Axios, the matter of inviting Netanyahu caused divisions among Biden's advisors, eventually leading to a compromise of holding the meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. There were concerns that a meeting at the White House might be interpreted as an endorsement of Israeli government policies.

Furthermore, a White House invitation could serve as an incentive for Netanyahu to cooperate in a deal aimed at normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia. However, it was reported earlier today that Saudi Arabia has put a stop to its normalization discussions with "Israel."