A senior White House official has confirmed that U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington at the end of July. Netanyahu is set to visit the U.S. capital to address Congress regarding the ongoing war in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of the House and Senate is scheduled for July 24th.
CNN was the first to report this news, noting that the logistical details for the anticipated White House meeting are still being finalized.
The Israeli military campaign in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of approximately 40,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities. The U.S. government has been divided over the appropriate response to this conflict.
At the outset of the conflict, President Biden expressed unequivocal support for Israel, supplying arms and providing diplomatic and political cover in international forums. However, Netanyahu has frequently disregarded U.S. demands for a more targeted approach in Gaza and for measures to de-escalate tensions with the Palestinians, as reported by the Washington Post.
Despite the deep divisions within the U.S. government over the Gaza policy, these disagreements have led to only a handful of resignations from the State Department, the Pentagon, and other federal agencies.
The upcoming meeting between Biden and Netanyahu will be closely watched, as it may shape the future course of U.S.-Israel relations and their collective approach to the Gaza conflict.