President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Wednesday for the first time in months. The call, which lasted about 30 minutes, focused on a "range of issues" according to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who described the conversation as "direct" and "productive."

As reported by ABC News, a US official familiar with the call revealed that the majority of the discussion centered on Israel's potential retaliation against Iran following last week's missile attack. The Iranian strikes, largely intercepted by Israel with assistance from the US military, resulted in minimal damage and no significant loss of life.

While Netanyahu didn't outline a fully developed strategy for retaliation, US officials expressed optimism about the level of information shared during the call. Sources close to the discussion indicated that Israeli leadership showed openness to American suggestions, particularly regarding potential targets. The Biden administration reportedly advocated for focusing on conventional military objectives, steering clear of nuclear facilities or oil infrastructure.

The call also addressed Israel's ongoing campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Despite the strained relationship between Biden and Netanyahu, the US official described the atmosphere of the conversation as cordial.

Vice President Kamala Harris joined the call, underscoring the importance of the discussion. The White House readout stated that both leaders agreed to maintain close contact in the coming days, both directly and through their respective teams.

"They will not understand what happened and how," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, referring to Israel's planned response to Iran's attack, which he characterized as "deadly, precise, and above all surprising."

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's scheduled meeting with Gallant in Washington was postponed, and Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh directed questions about the postponement to the Israeli government. 

Benny Gantz, Israel's former defense minister, criticized the trip's cancellation on social media platform X, stating it harmed Israel's national security "for personal and political considerations."

Former President Donald Trump reportedly spoke with Netanyahu "about a week ago," according to the prime minister's office. The call, initiated by Trump, included congratulations on "the determined and powerful actions that Israel carried out against Hezbollah."

When asked about the Trump-Netanyahu call, Jean-Pierre refrained from commenting directly, instead emphasizing the Biden administration's ongoing support for Israel's security. She noted that President Biden has had "more than a dozen conversations" with Netanyahu since Oct. 7, 2023.

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The Israeli Ambassador to the US Gilad Erdan said Israel could complete the process of joining the US waiver program as early as mid-2022.

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"After I presented all the data to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and explained to him the reason why Israel did not meet all of the criteria [for the program], he was convinced this stemmed from a lack of understanding of the lifestyle in Israel on the part of immigration clerks and the delay in age created for veterans until they get a degree and a proper job. From that moment, a significant breakthrough was made that should lead to a resolution at the end of the process. We established joint working teams, and Israel has an answer for each of the program's requirements."

In an August meeting with Prime Minister Naftali Bennet, US President Joe Biden said he intended to add Israel to the visa waiver program.

"Ahead of the prime minister's Washington visit, I acted together with his team and the administration for there to be a presidential statement. And indeed, the president expressed his desire to see Israel included in the waiver program, and this is very significant progress," Erdan said.

Israel has been lobbying for the move for years, as being included in the US visa waiver program would enable all Israelis to visit the United States for up to 90 days for tourism or business.

Currently, Israelis seeking to travel to the US, even briefly, must go through a lengthy visa application process.

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Democratic members of the US Congress are expected to ask US President Joe Biden not to open the Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem.

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The move is the initiative of senior representatives from the moderate wing of the Democratic party.

While they said their request would be made public, at this stage, the representatives asked to remain anonymous to bolster the chances of their success.

The Democratic representatives voiced their opposition to the consulate's reopening at a meeting with Binyamin Regional Council Head Israel Gantz and adviser for US-Israel ties Ruth Lieberman. At the meeting, the two explained the opening of the consulate would send a message of support for the future division of Jerusalem and explained such a move was contrary to accepted diplomatic policy and in violation of Israeli and US law.

The representatives said they would demand Biden halt efforts to reopen the US diplomatic mission to the Palestinians, noting both the president and the Democratic party had more important issues to contend with at this time, chief among them Biden's massive infrastructure spending plan to boost the US economy.

To date, all efforts to block the reopening of the consulate have been led by Republicans. Last week, 35 Republican senators introduced a bill to stop the move, although they were unable to garner Democratic support for the legislation.

Binyamin Regional Council head Gantz told Israel Hayom, "The members of Congress we met with understand the significance of opening the consulate – harm to Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem and harm even to US sovereignty as the transfer of the [US] Embassy [to Jerusalem] at the time was in effect the declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital."

Lieberman added: "It turns out the consulate issue is not a partisan one.

"We succeeded in spurring senior members of Congress from the Democratic party who will not hesitate to express their opposition to the move. They believe the opening of the consulate is a dangerous step for Jerusalem," she said.

The two Israeli officials also met with 60 Republican members of Congress. In that meeting, the Israelis presented US officials with evidence of "the Palestinian takeover of the territory" as well as the need to develop the area for the benefit of all residents.

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The United States will stay on in Syria to destroy the Islamic State group, build infrastructure, and remain a player in the search for a political settlement after more than 10 years of civil war, a leading Syrian Kurdish politician said Thursday.

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The Kurds, who live in the mountainous region straddling the borders of Syria, Armenia, Iraq, Iran, and Turkey, carved out self-rule across northeast Syria during the civil war that began in 2011.

President Bashar Assad was supported by Russia and Iran while the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia was backed by the United States. In 2019, then-US President Donald Trump pulled most American forces out of Syria to enable a Turkish offensive against the Kurds.

The chaotic Western withdrawal from Afghanistan stoked concern across the Middle East that Trump's successor Joe Biden might abandon allies across the region as Washington perceived China to be the main strategic challenge.

But Ilham Ahmed, president of the executive committee of the Syrian Democratic Council, the political arm of the YPG, said the United States had given a clear commitment to the Kurds.

"They promised to do whatever it takes to destroy Islamic State and work to build infrastructure in northeastern Syria," she told Reuters after meetings in Washington with White House, State Department, and Pentagon representatives.

"They said they are going to stay in Syria and will not withdraw - they will keep fighting Islamic State," Ahmed said. "Before they were unclear under Trump and during the Afghan withdrawal, but this time they made everything clear."

Syria's minority Kurds, who were discriminated against by Assad's pan-Arabist ruling Baath party, run a civilian administration that governs the affairs of several million Syrians once ruled from Damascus.

The Kurds have asked the Americans to help reopen the Al-Yaarubiyah border crossing between Syria and Iraq for international aid and to play a role in helping a political settlement, Ahmed said.

Ahmed, who met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow last month, said the Kurds had also been speaking to the Russians, whom she called "the main player in Syria,"  and was ready for dialogue with Iran too.

The Kurds have spoken to Damascus in an attempt to find a political settlement.

"We don't see much happening in the short term... We are hoping the Americans will play a more active role for a Syrian political settlement - they should do," she said.

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Prime Minister Naftali Bennett landed in Washington late Tuesday night local time ahead of a meeting with US President Joe Biden Thursday. The premier was greeted by US Deputy Chief of Protocol at the State Department Mark Walsh as well as Israeli Ambassador to the US and the UN Gilad Erdan.

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In remarks to the media before boarding the plane for the US, Bennett said: "There is a new administration in the US and a new government in Israel, and I am bringing with me from Jerusalem a new spirit of cooperation, which rests on the special and long-standing connection between the two countries.

Bennett said that in their talks, he and the US leader would "deal with many fronts, especially the Iranian front, and especially the jump in the Iranian nuclear program over the past two or three years. In particular, we will discuss the plan to block this program."

According to the Prime Minister's Office, he added talks would also focus on "several actions to strengthen the Israeli military superiority. Alongside this, we will also deal with the spheres of high-tech, the economy, innovation, the climate crisis that disturbs us all, and – of course – the fight against the coronavirus."

He said, "I intend to share with President Biden the knowledge and insights we have accumulated in the campaign here in the State of Israel regarding the third dose of the vaccine, which I am pleased [to say] has already crossed the threshold of 1.5 million people who have been inoculated."

At a weekly cabinet meeting Sunday, Bennett noted the timing of his meeting with Biden was "very important because we're at a critical point when it comes to Iran."

"Iran is progressing quickly on uranium enrichment, and the time it will take Iran to accumulate enough material for a single nuclear bomb has been shortened considerably," Bennett said.

Stressing his opposition to a new nuclear agreement between Iran and the west, he told cabinet members: "Iran is behaving aggressively and bullying the entire region. I'll tell President Biden that this is the time to top the Iranians, put a stop to this, and not throw them a lifeline in the form of rejoining a nuclear deal that has already run out. It's no longer relevant, even to those who once thought it was."

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According to an Israeli official that spoke with the Axios site, Bennett is interested in examining whether Israel would be better served by Washington and Tehran returning to compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal. With no deal currently in place, Tehran's efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon have continued apace.

On Sunday, Bennett held his first meeting with Prime Minister-designate Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, and senior intelligence officials on Iran.

Last month, Bennett called the Iranian presidential election victory of Ebrahim Raisi "a wake-up call to world powers."

Under Bennett, meanwhile, Israel has adopted a new policy relating to the talks between the US and Iran. The previous prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, prohibited senior Israeli officials from discussing the details of the emerging nuclear deal with the Americans, but Bennett has rescinded that constraint in the belief it projected strategic weakness in the region, an Israeli official told Axios.

The hope in Israel is that Raisi's presumed obstinacy vis-a-vis nuclear negotiations, combined with his extremist behavior and rhetoric, will irritate the Biden administration to the point of not only abandoning a deal with him but perhaps even deploying aircraft carriers to the Persian Gulf. In such a scenario, any finalization of the nuclear deal would likely be postponed for several months, during which Israel can endeavor to amend some of its details.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with US President Joe Biden in a phone call, Saturday night. Netanyahu updated the US leader on recent developments and actions Israel had taken and planned to take in the recent round of fighting with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

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Biden was the one to initiate the call, which was lengthy and extensive. Netanyahu thanked the president for his unwavering support for Israel to defend itself and emphasized the Jewish state was doing everything in its power to avoid harm to civilians. He noted the residential towers taken out by Israeli Air Force strikes had housed terrorist targets and civilians had been evacuated from the buildings prior to the attacks.

In what was their first conversation since Biden took office, the US leader also spoke with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Saturday. According to the Palestinian Minister of Civil Affairs Hussein al-Sheikh, the two discussed recent developments in the region.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed his support for Israel's right to defend itself in a conversation with Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Saturday. Gantz thanked Lloyd for the US administration's support and emphasized Israel was doing everything it could to avoid harming innocent civilians. He said Israel's objective was to restore quiet in the long-term from Hamas, which for its part, was targeting population centers inside Israel.

He said, "Five days ago, the Hamas terrorist organization fired at the Israeli capital, the results of which its senior officials and unfortunately Gaza's residents are experiencing full well. Infrastructure Hamas saw as defensive collapse overnight."

"Tunnels were destroyed, launchers collapsed, and hiding places of senior Hamas officials were targeted for attack. I want to emphasize: The IDF is fighting with all its force and using trickery and means that are surprising the terrorist organizations," he said.

Gantz continued: "The State of Israel has the right and obligation to defend its citizens, and no country in the world would accept rocket fire toward its citizens. And I thank all of the leaders of countries that expressed support for Israel. I regret that there are countries and organizations that do not understand the reality as it is and instead of pressuring Hamas to stop firing, ignore its war crimes and put pressure on Israel … While the IDF targets and hits military targets, Hamas targets citizens and hides behind its own."

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US President Joe Biden declared Wednesday night that "America is rising anew" as he called for an expansion of federal programs to drive the economy past the pandemic and broadly extend the social safety net on a scale not seen in decades.

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In his first address to Congress, he pointed optimistically to the nation's emergence from the coronavirus scourge as a moment for America to prove that its democracy can still work and maintain primacy in the world.

Speaking in highly personal terms while demanding massive structural changes, the president marked his first 100 days in office by proposing a $1.8 trillion investment in children, families, and education to help rebuild an economy devastated by the virus and compete with rising global competitors.

His speech represented both an audacious vision and a considerable gamble. He is governing with the most slender of majorities in Congress, and even some in his own party have blanched at the price tag of his proposals.

At the same time, the speech highlighted Biden's fundamental belief in the power of government as a force for good, even at a time when it is so often the object of scorn.

"I can report to the nation: America is on the move again," he said. "Turning peril into possibility. Crisis into opportunity. Setback into strength."

The visual images at the ceremony were unlike any previous presidential address. Members of Congress wore masks and were seated apart because of pandemic restrictions. Outside the grounds were still surrounded by fencing after insurrectionists in January protesting Biden's election stormed to the doors of the House chamber where he gave his address.

The nationally televised ritual raised the stakes for his ability to sell his plans to voters of both parties, even if Republican lawmakers prove resistant. The president is following the speech by hitting the road to push his plans, beginning in Georgia on Thursday and then on to Pennsylvania and Virginia in the days ahead.

"America is ready for takeoff. We are working again. Dreaming again. Discovering again. Leading the world again. We have shown each other and the world: There is no quit in America," Biden said.

This year's scene at the front of the House chamber also had a historic look: For the first time, a female vice president, Kamala Harris, was seated behind the chief executive. And she was next to another woman, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The first ovation came as Biden greeted "Madam Vice President." He added, "No president has ever said those words from this podium, and it's about time."

The chamber was so sparsely populated that individual claps could be heard echoing off the walls.

Yet Biden said, "I have never been more confident or more optimistic about America. We have stared into an abyss of insurrection and autocracy – of pandemic and pain – and 'We the People' did not flinch."

At times, the president plainly made his case for democracy itself.

Biden demanded that the government take care of its own as a powerful symbol to the world of an America willing to forcefully follow its ideals and people. He confronted an issue rarely faced by an American president, namely that to compete with autocracies like China, the nation needs "to prove that democracy still works" after his predecessor's baseless claims of election fraud and the ensuing attack on the US Capitol.

"Can our democracy overcome the lies, anger, hate, and fears that have pulled us apart?" he asked. "America's adversaries – the autocrats of the world – are betting it can't. They believe we are too full of anger and division and rage. They look at the images of the mob that assaulted this Capitol as proof that the sun is setting on American democracy. They are wrong. And we have to prove them wrong."

Biden repeatedly hammered home that his plans would put Americans back to work, restoring the millions of jobs lost to the virus. He laid out an extensive proposal for universal preschool, two years of free community college, $225 billion for child care, and monthly payments of at least $250 to parents. His ideas target frailties that were uncovered by the pandemic, and he argues that economic growth will best come from taxing the rich to help the middle class and the poor.

Biden's speech also provided an update on combating the COVID-19 crisis he was elected to tame, showcasing hundreds of millions of vaccinations and relief checks delivered to help offset the devastation wrought by a virus that has killed more than 573,000 people in the United States. He also championed his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan, a staggering figure to be financed by higher taxes on corporations.

His appeals were often emotive and personal, talking about Americans needing food and rental assistance. He also spoke to members of Congress as a peer as much as a president, singling out Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republicans' leader, to praise him and speaking as one at a professional homecoming.

The GOP members in the chamber largely stayed silent, even refusing to clap for seemingly universal goals like reducing childhood poverty. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina said, in the Republicans' designated response, that Biden was more rhetoric than action.

"Our president seems like a good man," Scott said. "But our nation is starving for more than empty platitudes."

The president spoke against a backdrop of the weakening but still lethal pandemic, staggering unemployment, and a roiling debate about police violence against blacks. He also used his address to touch on the broader national reckoning over race in America, urging legislation be passed by the anniversary of George Floyd's death next month, and to call on Congress to act on the thorny issues of prescription drug pricing, gun control, and modernizing the nation's immigration system.

In his first three months in office, Biden has signed a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill – passed without a single GOP vote – and has shepherded direct payments of $1,400 per person to more than 160 million households. Hundreds of billions of dollars in aid will soon arrive for state and local governments, enough money that overall US growth this year could eclipse 6% – a level not seen since 1984. Administration officials are betting that it will be enough to bring back all 8.4 million jobs lost to the pandemic by next year.

A significant amount proposed just Wednesday would ensure that eligible families receive at least $250 monthly per child through 2025, extending the enhanced tax credit that was part of Biden's COVID-19 aid. There would be more than $400 billion for subsidized child care and free preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds.

Another combined $425 billion would go to permanently reduce health insurance premiums for people who receive coverage through the Affordable Care Act, as well as a national paid family and medical leave program. Further spending would be directed toward Pell Grants, historically black and tribal institutions and to allow people to attend community college tuition-free for two years.

Funding all of this would be a series of tax increases on the wealthy that would raise about $1.5 trillion over a decade. Republican lawmakers in Congress so far have balked at the price tags of Biden's plans, complicating the chances of passage in a deeply divided Washington.

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US President Joe Biden reiterated his country's strong support for the Hashemite Kingdom's monarchy in a call with Jordan's King Abdullah II, Wednesday.

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Biden underscored the importance of Abdullah's leadership to the United States and the region.

Together they discussed the strong bilateral ties between Jordan and the United States, Jordan's important role in the region, and the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, and security arenas, according to a readout of the call.

The reassurance is increasingly important as rumors of a planned coup swept the royal palace over the last week. The king's half-brother Prince Hamza bin al-Hussein said late Saturday he was being held under house arrest, although he denied any role in the alleged plot to overthrow the monarch.

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Asked about the situation in Jordan during press questions following a policy speech on infrastructure, Biden said he remained unconcerned about the situation in Jordan.

In the call, Biden also reaffirmed his support for the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

That statement arrived on the heels of an announcement by the US State Department that the US was reinstating some $235 million in aid to the Palestinians.

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

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US President Joe Biden's administration on Wednesday announced a resumption of US assistance to the Palestinians, including to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, nearly all of which had been eliminated by former President Donald Trump.

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The State Department said it would provide a total of $235 million to projects in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as well as to the UN Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA. The administration had previously announced $15 million for the Palestinians to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The resumption of assistance has met opposition in Congress from pro-Israel lawmakers, who say the money may violate US law.

Israel expressed deep concern over the move.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said, "Israel's position is that the organization in its current form perpetuates the conflict and does not contribute to its resolution.

"The renewal of aid to UNRWA should be accompanied by substantial and necessary changes in the nature, goals, and conduct of the organization."

The resumption of assistance was immediately welcomed by the United Nations, UNRWA itself, and the Palestinians.

The administration notified Congress of its intent to ramp up aid to the Palestinians, but until Wednesday it had not publicly acknowledged any assistance other than that for COVID-19. The new assistance comes as the administration cements a new Middle East policy that in many ways is the direct opposite of that pursued by Trump.

"The United States is pleased to announce that, working with Congress, we plan to restart US economic, development, and humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. He said the money includes $75 million in economic and development assistance in the West Bank and Gaza, $10 million for peacebuilding programs, and $150 million for UNRWA.

Blinken sought to forestall congressional criticism by saying that "all assistance will be provided consistent with US law," but Republican members of Congress are already gearing up to fight the aid. The announcement came on the same day that Biden reaffirmed his commitment to a two-state resolution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict in a phone call with Jordan's King Abdullah II.

Blinken maintained that US support for the Palestinians is key to advancing American interests in the region.

"US foreign assistance for the Palestinian people serves important US interests and values," he said. "It provides critical relief to those in great need, fosters economic development, and supports Israeli-Palestinian understanding, security coordination, and stability. It also aligns with the values and interests of our allies and partners."

The office of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement that it "renewed its commitment to the two-state solution based on the foundations of international legitimacy and its willingness to respond to any international efforts to reach this goal."

The leadership of the cash-strapped UN agency and the United Nations hailed the announcement.

"We hope that others will now follow suit. There were a number of countries that had greatly reduced or halted contributions to UNRWA. We hope that the American decision will lead others to rejoin UNRWA as UNRWA donors," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

The Biden administration has made no secret of its belief that Trump's approach to the Middle East, which alienated the Palestinians, was flawed and made prospects for peace less likely. The new assistance appears aimed at encouraging the Palestinians to return to negotiations with Israel, though there is no indication it will have that effect and Israel has yet to weigh in publicly.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley had championed the removal of funding for the relief agency, suggesting it was responsible for perpetuating Palestinian poverty and questioning whether all of the millions of people it serves are actually refugees.

Just a week before leaving office, Pompeo accused UNRWA of being "riddled with waste, fraud (and) concerns of support to terrorism" and said there are fewer than 200,000 legitimate Palestinian refugees still alive.

In signaling opposition to the renewed funding, pro-Israel lawmakers note in particular that federal laws prohibit direct assistance to the Palestinian Authority or the provision of aid that benefits the PA as long as it continues to pay stipends to people convicted of anti-US or anti-Israel attacks and their families.

Already, a handful of Republicans are preparing to challenge the aid, maintaining that it violates the so-called Taylor Force and the Anti-Terrorism Clarification acts, both of which passed with strong bipartisan support.

The top Republicans on the House and Senate foreign affairs committees said the resumption in aid "undermines US interests."

"We will continue to scrutinize every proposed program to ensure the administration's actions are in lockstep with the Taylor Force Act and in compliance with all laws governing assistance to the Palestinians," said Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas and Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho. "Additionally, we are disappointed that the Biden Administration has decided to resume funding for UNRWA without securing any reforms from the organization."

The resumption of assistance comes just a week after the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office issued a report that found the US government had not properly vetted all of its Palestinian funding recipients for US antiterrorism criteria as required by law between 2015 and 2019 when Trump severed most of the aid.

While it said the US Agency for International Development had followed the law with respect to people and groups it funded directly, it had not done the same with entities, known as sub-grantees, to which those groups then distributed taxpayer dollars. "If funding resumes, we recommend measures to improve compliance," according to the GAO report.

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