Israel will remain America’s strongest ally in the Middle East, regardless of who is elected president in November, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday before leaving for Washington, where he was to address the US Congress.
The trip is Netanyahu’s first to his most important international ally since he returns for a record sixth term as prime minister in late 2022, a move that has been affected by President Joe Biden’s decision not to seek re-election.
Netanyahu said he would thank Biden for all he had done for Israel throughout his tenure and discuss with him issues such as securing the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, defeating the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and confronting Iran and its proxies in the region.
A meeting with the 81-year-old president is planned for Tuesday if he recovers from COVID-19. Netanyahu is scheduled to address Congress on Wednesday.
“I would tell my friends on both sides of the aisle that no matter who the American people elect as their next president, Israel will remain America’s indispensable and strongest ally in the Middle East,” he told reporters before takeoff.
“In this time of war and uncertainty, it is important that Israel’s enemies know that the United States and Israel stand together today, tomorrow and always,” Netanyahu said, adding that he wanted to “maintain the bipartisan support that is so important to Israel.”
The visit also provides a platform for Netanyahu to reset ties with Washington, after months of frosty relations with Israel over the way Israel launched an offensive into Gaza following a Hamas-led attack on October 7.
His speech to Congress is expected to focus on coordinating Israeli and US responses to the volatile situation in the Middle East, where the Gaza war threatens to spiral into a wider regional conflict.
The speech is likely to be less confrontational than Netanyahu’s address to Congress in 2015, when he criticised Barack Obama’s attempt as president to reach a nuclear deal with Iran.
Pressure
US pressure on Israel to restart talks to reach a political settlement with the Palestinians and the US threat to withhold arms have underscored the perception in Israel that ties with Washington have weakened under Netanyahu. He has also faced protests in Israel demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.
“Part of the goal is to try to show that despite everything that has been said, despite all the opposition, Netanyahu is still the leader, he still has support, he still has strong ties to the United States,” said Yonatan Freeman, an international relations expert at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The invitation to Netanyahu to address a joint meeting of Congress — a rare honor usually reserved for the closest US allies — was orchestrated by the Republican leadership of the House of Representatives, which has accused Biden of not showing enough support for Israel.
There were no indications that Netanyahu would meet Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The two had a close relationship during Trump’s presidency, but Trump has since criticised Netanyahu and said the Gaza war must be ended as soon as possible.
Though his welcome in Congress should generally be warm, the protests on American campuses suggest that Netanyahu’s reception outside official Washington may be hostile.
Activists opposed to Israel’s assault on Gaza and Washington’s support for Israel are planning a protest at the US Capitol on Wednesday. Police expect “large numbers of protesters” and are putting in place extra security, but said there was no known threat.
Israel is internationally isolated over its campaign in Gaza, which Gaza health officials say has killed some 39,000 Palestinians, its expansion of settlement building in the occupied West Bank and attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinians.
The opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on Friday that Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories is illegal was criticised by Washington. But it was followed by similar developments, including the decision by the International Criminal Court prosecutor to issue an arrest warrant against Netanyahu.
In Israel, Netanyahu is facing growing demands for a deal that would halt the fighting in Gaza and allow the return of 120 hostages – dead or alive – who are still held in the enclave run by the Palestinian activist group Hamas.
Netanyahu has resisted pressure to investigate security failures ahead of the October 7 Israeli attack that killed 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 250 in Gaza.
Opinion polls show that most Israelis hold him responsible for this and would vote him out of power if elections were held.
Netanyahu will be accompanied by Noa Arghamani, a hostage who was rescued by Israeli commandos last month. Her presence has been criticised by other hostage families, who say Netanyahu is not doing enough to secure the release of their loved ones.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
