Friday’s meeting had originally been scheduled for a day earlier but was postponed in the wake of a deadly terrorist attack in Kabul that killed 13 American service members. Biden cleared his schedule for meetings with top national security officials. He and Bennett spoke by phone on Thursday evening ahead of the rescheduled talks.
In warm remarks, Biden hailed Bennett’s coalition as the “most diverse government in Israeli history,” and said the US was committed to ensuring Iran never develops a nuclear weapon.
“We’re putting diplomacy first. If diplomacy fails, we’re ready to turn to other options,” he said, without elaborating.
He spoke in only broad terms about other issues in the region, saying he planned to discuss “ways for increased peace and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians.”
“The US will always be there for Israel. It’s an unshakable partnership between our two nations,” Biden said.
Bennett, the right-wing leader of a diverse coalition government, has very different views than Biden of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the best approach toward Iran. But he’s said he’ll adopt a less combative tone.
Like Netanyahu, he is opposed to restarting the Iran nuclear deal, which Biden has sought to re-enter through talks in Vienna. That diplomacy has proceeded in fits and starts, however, and US administration officials have made clear Tehran’s nuclear program is advancing quickly.
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