This will be Biden’s second visit to a conflict area this year. In February, he visited Ukraine in the strictest secrecy.
In Washington On Wednesday, President Joe Biden will travel to Israel, placing himself in danger to demonstrate his support for the nation as it recovers from a surprise strike by Hamas and plans a ground operation to destroy the militant organization on its border.
The president is visiting Tel Aviv for the second time this year after secretly visiting Ukraine in February, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is speaking from Israel.
Following their discussion with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken stated that the purpose of Biden’s visit is to “reaffirm the United States’ solidarity with Israel and our ironclad commitment to its security.”
According to Blinken, Biden also intends to speak with Israeli officials directly to find out what they require to maintain their security.
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Karine Jean-Pierre, the press secretary for the White House, said in a statement late on Monday that Biden’s visit would “demonstrate his steadfast support for Israel in the face of Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack and to consult on next steps.”
During the visit, Biden is anticipated to meet with Netanyahu and other Israeli authorities. The visit will be followed by a stop in the neighboring country of Jordan. Biden will meet with regional officials there who are essential to any effort to safeguard Palestinian civilians and long-term stabilize the Middle East, according to John Kirby, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council.
Biden will have meetings in Amman with King Abdullah of Jordan, Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, and Abdel Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt.
“He will certainly reiterate that Hamas does not stand for the Palestinians’ right to dignity and self-determination,” Kirby stated about Biden. “He’ll discuss again the humanitarian needs of all civilians in Gaza.”
With Middle Eastern allies, notably Egypt, U.S. officials have been debating how to provide humanitarian goods to Palestinian citizens in Gaza who are being held hostage by Israel’s siege of the heavily populated region.
The journey is in response to Netanyahu’s invitation. Since Hamas began their offensive on Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,400 people, Biden and Netanyahu have spoken five times. According to a U.S. official, Biden received an invitation to Egypt on Sunday to attend an upcoming summit on the future of the Palestinian people.
There are inescapable risks associated with Biden’s trip to the Middle East. Israel has been hit by rockets fired by Hamas. As Blinken met with Netanyahu and other Israeli officials in Tel Aviv on Monday, an air raid alarm sounded, prompting them to seek refuge in a bunker.
During the Trump administration, Jason Greenblatt served as the White House’s special representative to the Middle East. He is also the author of the book “In the Path of Abraham: How Donald Trump Made Peace in the Middle East — and How to Stop Joe Biden from Unmaking It,” and he believes that Biden’s visit will have a significant impact.
In a Monday interview, Greenblatt said that it “sends a message that he’s been trying to give and the entire administration has been trying to give: that they support Israel through this horrific period.” “It shows that there’s no daylight whatsoever between them.”