President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met at the White House on July 25 for a one-on-one meeting to discuss the ongoing Israel–Hamas war and U.S.–Israel relations.
Vice President Kamala Harris also met with Mr. Netanyahu later on Thursday afternoon.
The meetings were scheduled a day after Mr. Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress. The Israeli leader began his July 24 speech by thanking President Biden for his support thus far in the nearly 10-month conflict, which began after Hamas attacked several communities across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing and injuring more than a thousand people and taking around 250 hostages.
During his congressional address, Mr. Netanyahu called for Israel and the United States to continue to “stand together” as the war continues.
President Biden and Mr. Netanyahu offered a brief comment to members of the press on Thursday afternoon before commencing their meeting.
“Mr. President, we’ve known each other for over 40 years, and you’ve known every Israeli Prime Minister for 50 years, from Golda Meir. So, from a proud Jewish Zionist to a proud Irish–American Zionist, I want to thank you for 50 years of public service and 50 years of support for the state of Israel,” Mr. Netanyahu said. “I look forward to discussing with you today and working with you in the months ahead on the great issues before us.”
“I look forward to it as well,” President Biden replied.
Ahead of the meeting, a senior administration official said President Biden planned to reiterate “his ironclad commitment to Israel’s security” during his meeting with Mr. Netanyahu, and the two would discuss the threat posed by Iran and “Iranian proxy and terrorist groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah, [and] the Houthis.”
The official said the meeting will cover U.S. efforts to ensure Israel’s defensive capabilities.
The administration official said President Biden also expects an in-depth discussion about a potential breakthrough in negotiations for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and the release of the hostages Hamas is holding.
At a White House press conference coinciding with the Biden–Netanyahu meeting, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the administration believes Mr. Netanyahu is still committed to the deal.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu has been working with us to try to get that deal over the finish line,” Mr. Kirby said. “There’s still some gaps that remain and we’re going to be talking to the Prime Minister today about closing those gaps.”
Mr. Kirby rebuffed questions about whether President Biden would consider a unilateral effort to negotiate a hostage release if Mr. Netanyahu abandons the current negotiations.
“I wouldn’t get into hypothesizing and speculating about options one way or the other,” Mr. Kirby said. “We want to get all the hostages home, clearly the Americans in particular, and that’s why this deal is so important.”
Ms. Harris’s meeting with Mr. Netanyahu took on new significance after she became the Democrat presidential frontrunner this week after President Biden dropped out of the race.
Ms. Harris kicked off her campaign efforts in Wisconsin on July 23 and missed Mr. Netanyahu’s congressional address as she traveled to Indiana and Texas on Wednesday.
