Posted on 09/20/23
| News Source: i24
The face-to-face discussion marks their first meeting since the Israeli Prime Minister returned to office last December
U.S. President Joe Biden is set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly taking place in New York.
The face-to-face discussion marks their first meeting since the Israeli Prime Minister returned to office last December.
Notably, the meeting is scheduled on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, in contrast to the White House, where President Biden will host Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky later this week.
Netanyahu has not been invited to the White House since resuming his role as the head of Israel's government, a move widely seen as indicative of the Biden administration's concerns over the Israeli government's proposed judicial reforms.
The bilateral meeting comes against a backdrop of tensions between the two leaders due to Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan. It also follows a day after President Biden highlighted Israel's strengthening ties with its neighboring nations during an address to the General Assembly.
During his speech to the United Nations on Tuesday, President Biden commended the efforts to create a more "integrated Middle East."
U.S. National security advisor Jake Sullivan had previously informed reporters that the leaders would "discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues, focusing on the shared democratic values between the United States and Israel, and a vision for a more stable, prosperous, and integrated region, as well as comparing notes on effectively countering and deterring Iran."