On Tuesday, President Biden met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the White House, discussing efforts to advance the peace process between Gaza and Lebanon.
Herzog conveyed during the meeting in the Oval Office, “I know you’ve been working hard to ensure an end to this conflict.” He added, “But first and foremost, the safety of the Israeli and Lebanese people is paramount. Apparently, you are also considering and arranging for the future, which should be a hopeful prospect for the people in that region, enabling our neighbors and us to live in security and peace.”
“However, first, we must rescue the hostages,” he emphasized, noting that in Gaza, 101 hostages have been held by the extremist Hamas organization for over 400 days.
Biden responded, “I agree.”
During the meeting, Biden reiterated the U.S.’s unwavering commitment to Israel, stating, “We have a deep friendship.”
Herzog’s office announced that while in Washington, the President will also meet with Representative Elise Stefanik, whom Trump has nominated to be the next U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
Additionally, Herzog is scheduled to meet with Senator Lindsey Graham, a long-time foreign policy advisor to Trump.
The Biden administration stated on Tuesday that progress has been made in increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza by Israel, but there are limitations. The U.S. will not impose the previously threatened restrictions on transferring weapons to Israel.
State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters that the progress achieved so far must be supplemented and maintained, but “we have not yet assessed whether Israel has violated U.S. law.”
“We have seen some progress, and we hope to see more changes occur. We believe that these changes may not happen without U.S. intervention,” Patel said.
Last month, the Biden administration gave Israel a 30-day window to increase food and emergency aid to Gaza, warning that failure to address this issue could trigger U.S. laws requiring limitations on military aid to Israel. The law stipulates that recipients of military aid must comply with international humanitarian law and not impede humanitarian assistance.
However, several international aid organizations signed and issued a letter on Tuesday claiming that Israel has not addressed these issues. According to the Associated Press, these organizations believe that “the situation today is more dire than a month ago.”
Herzog’s visit comes amid accelerated transition actions by Trump. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he has had several recent contacts with Trump.
Netanyahu indicated this week that since the U.S. election on November 5th, he has had three conversations with Trump, describing them as “very good and important talks” that strengthen the “unwavering connection” between the U.S. and Israel.
According to Axios, Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida on Sunday.
During Trump’s first term, U.S.-Israel relations were close. Some analysts believe that Trump may revive the “maximum pressure” policy towards Iran.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Herzog also conveyed to Biden that the chaos and conflicts in the Middle East “all start in Tehran.”
Herzog stated, “In Tehran, they and their proxies are doing everything to disrupt stability, security, and peace, advocating for the destruction of Israel and seeking nuclear weapons.”
“President Biden, this must be a primary target for your entire term and the next president, as we must ensure they cannot achieve their evil intentions,” he said.