Bennett goes to Washington to meet Biden

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Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is taking off Tuesday for Washington, where he will meet U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday. During his visit, Bennett is also expected to meet Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

“The meeting between Bennett and Biden is an important signal to world leaders that the new Israeli prime minister is getting a strong American embrace and support equal to what his predecessor received from the White House,” a diplomatic source said. “There is also an important message to the Israeli public about Bennett’s status as prime minister in the post-Netanyahu era.”

The timing of the meeting is uncomfortable for both sides: Biden is preoccupied with the crisis in Afghanistan while Bennett is leaving Israel in the midst of another wave of the coronavirus and rising tensions in Gaza. The two leaders’ conversation will address a long list of issues, first and foremost the Iranian nuclear issue, the Palestinian Authority’s economic crisis, the conflict with Hamas in Gaza and the consequences of America’s conduct in Afghanistan for the future of the Middle East.

A diplomatic source said Monday that the heart of the discussion between the two will be the Iranian nuclear issue, and he condemned the way former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had handled it. “The legacy we received is very difficult,” he said. “There is no value in returning to the [2015] nuclear agreement. Iran is now at the most advanced point of its nuclear program, at least in terms of enrichment [of uranium]. The rate of enrichment since 2018 is dizzying and worrisome.”

The source said Bennett would present Biden with an “orderly strategy” to cope with the threat posed by Tehran. “For us the most important thing is the nuclear [issue] but also important is [Iran’s] regional aggression in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Gaza, by sea, air and land,” he said.

The source added that although until recently it seemed the United States wanted to return to the nuclear agreement, “time has passed since then, the Iranian president has changed and things look less clear.” He said the election of Ebrahim Raisi “signals a very particular direction,” and that the Iranian regime “is at its most extreme point since 1979 [the year of the Islamic Revolution].”

The source added that although the timing of the visit was a problem, the United States considers it very important. Its purpose, he said, “was to reflect the new message coming from Israel, of a cross-border connection with both sides of American politics, through dialogue, listening and lack of dogmatism.” He added: “In recent months the two administrations have built intimate and very attentive ties, based on mutual understanding of the challenges and priorities.”

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The Israeli delegation will be conducting itself under very strict coronavirus restrictions; Bennett wants to avoid a lengthy quarantine upon his return to Israel so that he can maintain his regular schedule. Among other things, he is meant to meet Sunday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is making a farewell visit before her retirement.

Bennett and his entourage will conduct itself as a closed pod; members will not leave their hotel for most of the visit nor meet anyone who has not been checked beforehand. Upon the delegation’s return to Israel, members will quarantine for only two days, with Bennett resuming work Sunday morning, subject to a coronavirus test.