Amid potential friction between the US and Israel over rise of far-right factions in the Knesset and their ministerial positions, the first high-level Biden administration visit is set to take place in the coming weeks. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to visit in late January in what will be his first meeting the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power in late December. It is widely believed that the visit will be used to make sure both sides on the on the same page on a host of issues, as well as to lay the groundwork for a visit of the Israeli leader to the White House later in 2023.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
A visit by the secretary of state is customary whenever a new government takes office. Meanwhile, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told NPR over the weekend that he too will visit Israel in the near term.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is planning to visit Israel at end of January, according to reports@DannyAyalon breaks down what to expect from the visit and how the Biden Administration is handling Ben-Gvir's visit to the Temple Mount #i24NEWSDesk | @benitalevin pic.twitter.com/b2g8p6zPw5
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) January 9, 2023
"The first thing that I intend to convey is the fact that [...] the United States is absolutely committed to Israel's security, and that's not going to change," Sullivan said on Friday. "Second, we're going to talk through the challenges and opportunities in the Middle East region. There are significant challenges, including the threat posed by Iran," he continued, adding there are also opportunities that he wished to build on, referring to the recent normlaization deals between Israel and four Arab states, known as the Abraham Accords.
According to a recent report in Politico, President Joe Biden is expected to follow a newly devised strategy in dealing with Netanyahu. According to the report, which is based on two US officials familiar with the issue, the plan is to serve as a means of handling the challenging ideological gap between the Democratic president and the government, which will be heavily based on Otzma Yehudit and other far-Right elements.
"The Biden administration will hold the presumptive Israeli prime minister personally responsible for the actions of his more extreme cabinet members, especially if they lead to policies that endanger a future Palestinian state," the report said, based on the sources.
"Netanyahu is the person US officials will publicly turn to, refer to and rely upon for any remotely serious talks on issues ranging from Israeli settlements in the West Bank to Israel's relations with Arab states," Politico quoted one official.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
