Netanyahu To Have Separate Meetings With Biden, Harris, & Likely Trump Too

It has been about a week since President Joe Biden has been seen in public or on camera, and six days since his Covid-19 diagnosis. His meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who just arrived in Washington, was initially scheduled for Tuesday, but that has been pushed back till Thursday, Fox reports, while also noting that “Israeli officials were confused if the two leaders would meet at all.”

As of Monday afternoon the president was at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware – said to be recovering and in isolation. Amid rumors and speculation about his health, there’s another obvious question: when will the US President and Commander-in-Chief actually be seen?

It appears Netanyahu is set to be the first foreign official to literally lay eyes on Biden, and up close, since the Democratic president announced he is withdrawing from running for a second term Sunday.

Netanyahu’s controversial address in front of Congress is set for Wednesday, to be boycotted by many Democrats, and while Vice President Kamala Harris will not preside over the address (as is normally customary for a VP) and intends to skip the speech, she is planning a private meeting with the Israeli leader.

“Harris was scheduled to attend an event for the Zeta Phi Beta sorority in Indianapolis before the Israeli prime minister’s address date was set,” reports Politico. “The conflict allows Harris to circumvent the question of whether to attend the address, a political challenge for many Democrats who oppose the way Israel is conducting the war in Gaza.”

Netanyahu had said before departing from Tel Aviv, ”regardless [of] who the American people choose as their next president.” Interestingly, his flight had to avoid a stopover in Europe due to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant hanging over his head, to avoid any awkward situations with European allies who also happen to be signatories of the Rome Statute. 

Netanyahu while in the United States is also seeking a sit-down with former president and current Republican nominee Donald Trump, or at least a phone call. It’s as yet unclear if Trump has agreed to such a meeting, but it is likely. The scheduling and logistics have remained a little up in the air due to the White House’s dramatic shuffling of Biden’s schedule.

Netanyahu was among the first world leaders to register shock and solidarity in the wake of the assassination attempt on Trump…

Like all Israelis, my wife Sara and I were shocked by the horrific assassination attempt on the life of President Donald Trump.

This wasn’t just an attack on Donald Trump. This was an attack on a candidate for the presidency of the United States. This was an attack on America.… pic.twitter.com/AzeiL78uNU

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) July 14, 2024

So in all, Netanyahu in addition to addressing Congress might end up in separate meetings with all three of the following: Biden, Harris, and Trump. But in Bibi’s mind, it’s likely that only one meeting will be the one that matters for the future.

Also, it’s being widely reported that the Israeli PM plans to delay cementing any level of a Gaza truce deal with Hamas until after the November US election.