Israel, United States to Hold First Strategic Middle East Consultations Since Joe Biden Inauguration

The United States and Israel will hold joint consultations on strategic issues in the Middle East, the first since President Joe Biden took office, the White House said on Wednesday.

Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will lead the virtual meeting Thursday with Israeli National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat, reported Emily Horne, spokesperson for the United States National Security Council.

“The discussion will focus on regional issues, building on the close consultations between the two sides in recent months.”Horne said.

Biden maintained a distance early in his term from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he took nearly a month to call after his inauguration on January 20. This delay has been interpreted as a way for Biden to reverse U.S.-Middle East relations after Donald Trump’s tenure.

One of Biden’s priorities is to re-engage with Iran on its nuclear industry, which Israel and other countries say Tehran is using to develop a weapons program.

Biden is trying to overturn Israel-backed Trump’s decision to sever relations with Iran and increase international sanctions. The former Republican president argued that negotiations to ensure Iran’s nuclear program is not used for military purposes were futile.

Netanyahu visits United Arab Emirates

On the other hand, Netanyahu is due to visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this Thursday, which would be his. first official visit to this state since the normalization of relations between the two countries in 2020 and after three postponements.

Government sources cited by the Israeli daily Haaretz indicated that Netanyahu is due to meet Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed during his visit, although at the moment he has not transcended his agenda.

The trip will take place despite travel restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic and less than two weeks away from the March 23 parliamentary elections, the fourth the country will hold in nearly two years.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi received on March 1 upon his arrival in the country the first ambassador in the history of the United Arab Emirates to Israel, Mohamed Mahmud al Jaya, as part of the implementation of his agreement.

The governments of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed agreements with Israel in September to normalize their relations with Israel in a ceremony at the White House, following a negotiation process brokered by the U.S. president of the era, Donald Trump.

These agreements were rejected by the Palestinian Authority, which called it a “blow to the Arab consensus,” although Trump and members of the Israeli government later assured that other countries in the region were considering doing so. likewise, what happened later with Sudan. and Morocco.

With information from AFP

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