Top Biden Official Discusses Iran, Security, 2 States in Israel, Ramallah

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan visited Israel and the Palestinian territories. Sullivan met on Thursday in Jerusalem with Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. According to a White House statement they discussed “the US commitment to ensure Iran can never acquire a nuclear weapon” and Ukraine, as well as the burgeoning defense partnership between Russia and Iran and its implications for security in the Middle East region. Sullivan, according to the White House, “restated the United States’ unwavering commitment to Israel’s security.”

Sullivan also met with senior Israeli officials including Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi, Mossad Director David Barnea, and newly installed Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Major General Herzi Halevi, according to the White House.

Sullivan and Hanegbi also held a virtual meeting with their counterparts from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa. The leaders “declared their commitment to deepen the Abraham Accords and discussed practical steps to advance their joint interests in the region,” according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office

Sullivan also traveled to Ramallah to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. They discussed “US support for peace, preserving the path towards negotiations for two states, and advancing equal measures of security, prosperity, and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians,” according to the White House. Sullivan also reviewed “US  commitments to the Palestinian people, including support for the East Jerusalem Hospital Network and establishment of 4G infrastructure in the West Bank.  He also discussed the need for Palestinian leaders to help de-escalate tensions in the West Bank and to strengthen Palestinian institutions.”