Israeli President Isaac Herzog Arrives in US For Meeting With Biden

Israel’s President Isaac Herzog landed in Washington D.C. early Tuesday morning, a day before his scheduled White House meeting with US President Joe Biden. Herzog said before his departure that he was embarking on an official visit to Washington “at the invitation of my friend, President Joe Biden, whom I was delighted to host during his visit to Israel a few months ago,” which is when the invitation reportedly was first issued.

Herzog said he would discuss with President Biden “important developments in our region, from the Abraham Accords to the gas deal with Lebanon, and of course to our desire and hope to have more nations join the circle of regional peace,” and “most importantly the Iranian threat, which is destabilizing not only the Middle East but the entire world, requiring a firm and united stand against it.”

The Israeli president is scheduled to meet Tuesday morning with Jewish communal leaders; he also is scheduled to meet over the next two days with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congressional leadership. During his visit, Herzog also will participate in an event at the Atlantic Council marking two years since the Abraham Accords.

Herzog also noted that “This visit comes during elections, both in Israel and the United States, and it is an opportunity to reaffirm that the powerful friendship and partnership between our nations is above all disagreements, and above any political or party divisions.”