“This is a vital security interest to both Israel and the United States, and I would add for the rest of the world as well,” Biden stated at a information convention in Jerusalem standing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid.
He added, “I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way to achieve this outcome. We will continue to work with Israel to counter other threats from Iran throughout the region, including support for terrorism and ballistic missile program that continues and the proliferation of weapons to terrorist and proxies like Hezbollah.”
The President stated he would ship that message to Saudi management when he travels to Saudi Arabia on Friday and stated, “With regard to Iran and convincing the Saudis and others that we mean what we say is — we mean what we say.”
Biden has pushed for a revival of the Iran nuclear deal, which former President Donald Trump withdrew the US from in 2018, as he faces growing strain from key Middle East allies to produce a plan to include Iran. Biden’s hosts in Israel oppose a new Iran nuclear deal and the earlier model of the deal was unpopular in that nation.
But hopes seem to be fading that the deal will materialize, and the President on Thursday acknowledged the US is “not going to wait forever” for a response from Iranian management.
Standing alongside Biden at the information convention, Lapid was dismissive about one other nuclear deal as the means to forestall Iran from buying a nuclear weapon.
“Words will not stop them, Mr. President. Diplomacy will not stop them. The only thing that will stop Iran is knowing that if they continue to develop their nuclear program, the free world will use force. The only way to stop them is to put a credible military threat on the table,” Lapid stated.
Biden stated in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 News that aired Wednesday that he would use drive “as a last resort” to keep Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, however didn’t spell out what that meant.
Iran was a important subject of debate throughout Biden and Lapid’s bilateral assembly on Thursday, and the two leaders signed a new joint declaration on Thursday geared toward increasing the safety relationship between their nations and countering what they described as efforts by Iran to destabilize the area. The President reiterated the US’ “ironclad commitment” to Israel’s safety.
Biden additionally reiterated his help for a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian battle throughout the information convention.
“Israel must remain an independent, democratic Jewish state, the ultimate guarantee and guarantor of security of the Jewish people not only in Israel but the entire world. I believe that to my core,” Biden stated.
He continued, “And the best way to achieve that remains a two-state solution for two people, both of whom have deep and ancient roots in this land living side-by-side in peace and security. Both states fully respecting the equal rights of their citizens, both people enjoying equal measures of freedom and any more that takes us further from that outcome I believe anything is detrimental to the long-term security of Israel.”
The US and Israel on Thursday additionally launched a new high-level strategic dialogue on know-how, which officers say is designed to elevate cooperation between the two nations on pandemic preparedness, local weather know-how, synthetic know-how and different trusted know-how ecosystems.
The President on Thursday additionally participated in the first digital leaders assembly of the “I2U2” group, which additionally contains Israel, India, and the United Arab Emirates. The focus of Thursday’s assembly was meals safety in addition to advancing clear vitality, Biden stated forward of the assembly.
The UAE introduced it was investing $2 billion in agricultural parks in India to deal with the meals safety disaster.
“This unique grouping of countries aims to harness the vibrancy of our societies and entrepreneurial spirit to tackle some of the greatest challenges confronting our world, with a particular focus on joint investments and new initiatives in water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security,” a joint assertion from the leaders of India, Israel, United Arab Emirates and the United States reads.
Biden met with President Isaac Herzog of Israel at his residence and was set to focus on Herzog’s diplomatic efforts to additional combine Israel into the area, officers stated.
Herzog offered Biden with the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor, and Biden stated the award was “among the greatest honors of my career.”
The President will then meet with former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two leaders have a relationship that spans practically 4 a long time that started when Biden was a junior senator. All the similar, it has not all the time been easy crusing between the two males. Netanyahu made no secret of his disregard for former President Barack Obama — the feeling, by all accounts, was mutual — and Biden was badly embarrassed when a go to to Israel as vice chairman in 2010 coincided with an Israeli authorities announcement approving plans for brand new settlement houses.
“They, of course, go back many years and know each other well. And we are clear during this visit that the relationship between the United States and Israel is about the countries, our strategic partnership as two states — not about individual leaders,” one official stated.
Biden additionally met with US athletes competing in the Maccabiah Games, a global Jewish and Israeli multi-sport occasion, and considered a portion of the opening ceremonies.
This story has been up to date with further developments on Thursday.