US President Biden is putting pressure on his Israeli counterpart Netanyahu during his visit to the White House – an agreement with Hamas should finally be reached. Vice President Kamala Harris is taking a much tougher stance.
US President Joe Biden has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a swift agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages in the Gaza war. At the meeting in the White House, Biden pointed out the need to “close the remaining gaps, conclude the agreement as quickly as possible, bring the hostages home and achieve a permanent end to the war in Gaza,” the White House said. Netanyahu is to be received by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Florida today.
After Netanyahu’s meeting with Biden: Hostage relatives “more optimistic than before”
According to a report, relatives of American-Israeli hostages gained new hope after a separate meeting with Biden and Netanyahu that a deal with the Islamist Hamas could soon be reached. They are now “more optimistic than before,” the US news portal “Axios” quoted three sources who were present at the meeting. Netanyahu promised the relatives in the presence of Biden that Israel would present an updated proposal for an agreement within a few days, it was said.
Indirect negotiations, mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt, are to continue next week in the Qatari capital Doha. In a speech on Wednesday before both houses of the US Congress, Netanyahu had previously announced no agreement, contrary to the hopes of relatives of the 115 hostages remaining in Gaza, and instead rejected any criticism of the actions in the Gaza Strip.
Kamala Harris is tough
For Vice President Kamala Harris, who did not attend Netanyahu’s speech in the US Congress because of a campaign appearance, the meeting with Netanyahu was the first important test in her role as a possible replacement candidate for the Democrats in the presidential election campaign.
“It is time to end this war,” Harris said in a televised statement after holding face-to-face talks with Netanyahu. “We cannot afford to freeze in the face of suffering, and I will not be silent,” she added.
Harris described the conversation with Netanyahu as open and constructive. She also reiterated her “unwavering commitment” to Israel’s security. “Israel has the right to defend itself. It’s all about how it does it,” Harris said. Although as vice president she mostly supported Israel’s right to self-defense, like Biden, she made it clear on Thursday that she no longer has any patience with Israel’s military actions.
Biden and Harris urged Netanyahu to increase humanitarian aid in Gaza and improve protection for civilians. It is necessary to “remove all obstacles to the flow of aid and restore basic services to those in need,” Biden said.
Trump: With me as president, October 7 massacre would not have happened
Before Trump’s meeting with Netanyahu today, the Republican spoke on a program on the US broadcaster Fox News. With regard to the war in the Gaza Strip and Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, he said: “I want him to end it quickly.”
With him as US president, the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7 would not have happened, Trump claimed. “You know, October 7 would never have happened. If I had been president, there would have been no way. Iran would have been broke, there would have been no money for Hamas or Hezbollah. It just wouldn’t have happened – no chance,” said the 78-year-old. The massacre triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu praises Trump before US Congress
Netanyahu praised Trump in his speech to the US Congress on Wednesday. He spoke in detail about Trump’s achievements during his term as president from 2017 to 2021. He specifically highlighted the so-called Abraham Accords. In 2020, under Trump’s mediation, the Emirates and Bahrain were the first Gulf states to sign an agreement to establish diplomatic relations with Israel.
“I also want to thank President Trump for all the things he has done for Israel,” Netanyahu continued in his speech, “from recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, opposing Iranian aggression to recognizing Jerusalem as our capital and moving the American embassy.”
Details of the meeting are not yet known. The former US president announced the invitation on his online platform Truth Social. Netanyahu had reportedly requested the meeting. Biden could view the meeting as an affront. Trump, who is in the heat of the election campaign, is always making headlines by receiving high-ranking state guests. Just recently, the Republican received Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban at his residence.
