Biden meets Netanyahu at White House for 1st time since becoming president

WASHINGTON, DC — President Joe Biden finally met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office on Thursday for the first time since Biden took office in January 2021.

As ALL ISRAEL NEWS has reported over the years, there have been significant – and sometimes tense –clashes between the two leaders.

The two leaders have spoken often by phone during the war, but this is their first in-person meeting since Biden came to visit Israel shortly after the war in Gaza began.

The initial on-camera greetings seemed friendly enough.

"We've got a lot to talk about," Biden said as Netanyahu arrived.

President Joe Biden welcomes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House for a meeting (Photo: Amos Ben-Gershom / GPO).

“From a proud Israeli Zionist to a proud Irish American Zionist, I want to thank you for 50 years of public service and 50 years of support for the State of Israel,” Netanyahu replied.

“We’ve known each other for 40 years, and you’ve known every Israeli Prime Minister for 50 years since Golda Meir,” Netanyahu told Biden.

But Biden is not happy with Bibi.

Matthew Miller, the U.S. State Department spokesperson, told reporters today that Biden is pressing Bibi behind closed doors to finalize a ceasefire deal immediately.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, July 25, 2024 (Photo: Amos Ben-Gershom / GPO).

“We need to get this deal over the line,” Miller said.

“We’ve been working on it for some time. It’s been a tough negotiation. We’ve made progress. We’ve got a framework for an agreement done.”

“We now need to bridge the final differences and get a deal in place so we can all move forward,” Miller added, according to The Times of Israel.

Netanyahu will next meet with Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Times of Israel further reported that Biden was joined in the Oval Office by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew, White House Middle East Czar Brett McGurk and White House Special Envoy Amos Hochstein.

“Joining Netanyahu are Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Herzog, Netanyahu’s Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman, the Premier’s Military Secretary Roman Gofman, and his Foreign Policy Adviser Ophir Falk,” the Times noted.