Biden arrives in Israel, kicking off first Middle East trip as president
President Joe Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday for his first trip to the Middle East as president, looking to show support for that nation amid low
JERUSALEM — President Joe Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday for his first trip to the Middle East as president, looking to show support for that nation amid low expectations that his visit will lead to any fundamental shift in the growing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.
While most presidents have centered their visits to the Jewish state around trying to help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there are no indications from Biden administration officials that there are plans to do anything more than reaffirm Biden’s support for a two-state solution.
While Biden said he will discuss trying to reach a two-state solution, he acknowledged it is "not in the near term."
"Greater peace, greater stability, greater connection is critical," he said upon landing in Israel. "It’s critical, I might add, for all people of the region, which is why we’ll discuss my continued support, even though I know it’s not in the near term, a two-state solution, which remains in my view the best way to ensure the future of equal measure of freedom, prosperity and democracy for Israelis and Palestinians alike."
Instead, much of the emphasis ahead of the trip has been focused on improving relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors as part of Biden’s wider efforts to bring stability to the region and counter Iran’s growing nuclear threat. After two days in Israel and a visit to the occupied West Bank, Biden plans to travel to Saudi Arabia, where administration officials have indicated there may be some early steps toward publicly normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
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