Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to fly to Washington in about three weeks to address a joint session of Congress, indicating the strong support of the US Congress for Israel and the war effort. On the other hand, the direct invitation through Congress and not through the President (who has the official powers on foreign affairs) may be seen as an expression of a flawed relationship with the President, and even as a challenge to him; Thus, Netanyahu’s previous speech to Congress in 2015, in which he criticized the nuclear agreement signed by President Obama with Iran, undermined personal relations between him and the former president.
However, it seems that this is not the case, this time – since according to publications, Biden wishes to meet with Netanyahu in person during the visit. Netanyahu and Biden have met several times during the war, but not in recent months, when a few tensions have risen in the air, especially in the context of the Rafah operation, the continuation of negotiations to free the hostages from Hamas, and the delay of arms shipments by the American administration. It is not known what the official issues will be discussed by Netanyahu and Biden, but it can be hoped that the face-to-face meeting between the two old acquaintances (who have been working together since the 80s) will lead to understandings and more positive results for Israel.
Biden is now in a sensitive situation in general, after a bad appearance in the election debate against Trump about a week ago, during which the president was seen as detached, tired, and very, very old. Since then, the Democratic Party has been raging, with many of the president’s biggest supporters calling for him to withdraw from the race and allow an alternative candidate to defeat Trump; on the other hand, the president, his family and his advisers are running a braking battle, and rationalizing the debate as a one-time lapse due to external circumstances, claiming that the ability to govern and rule remains intact. In any case, since the debate, polls have been clearly biased in favor of Trump, and even major media outlets such as The New York Times are urging Biden to step down. Can Biden make such a move, which has only happened once in the last 140 years? The next few days, and the next debate, will tell.
