US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met at the White House Thursday afternoon, where sources told
CNN the president was expected to be as forceful as he has ever been in urging Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire agreement, as US officials believe that a deal may be on the cusp.
“We’re closer than we’ve ever been,” one senior administration official said. “It’s up to the Israelis to accept it.”
Biden’s in-person meeting with Netanyahu followed the Israeli prime minister’s speech to Congress on Wednesday, which sparked protests including instances of antisemitism or pro-Hamas rhetoric in Washington, DC. The White House has condemned such demonstrations.
In brief remarks before the meeting, Netanyahu mentioned how the two men have known each other for four decades. He added: “From a proud Jewish 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.”
Biden reminisced about meeting with previous Israeli leaders before making a joke about his age: “That’s how far back it goes. I was only 12 then.” Neither leader responded to shouted questions from reporters.
The meeting, which was Biden’s first with a world leader since announcing he would drop out of the 2024 race, came at a fragile point in their decadeslong relationship. A resolution to end the Israel-Hamas war that began in October now looms large over Biden’s legacy as a one-term president. Progress in the negotiations for a ceasefire have come in fits and starts in recent months, and Biden and his senior national security officials have been closely involved in trying to land the deal.
During the meeting, the president stressed the need to finalize the deal as soon as possible, according to a readout from the White House.
“Biden expressed the need to close the remaining gaps, finalize the deal as soon as possible, bring the hostages home, and reach a durable end to the war in Gaza,” the readout said. “The President also raised the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the need to remove any obstacles to the flow of aid and restoring basic services for those in need, and the critical importance of protecting civilian lives during military operations.”
Biden also participated in a meeting with Netanyahu that included families of American hostages in Gaza - a separate setting where he could apply firm pressure on Netanyahu to finalize the ceasefire agreement.
“In this setting he will really be held accountable to his commitment of pursuing a ceasefire and hostage deal,” said one US official.
Families of the American hostages have expressed frustration in recent months about the relative lack of outreach from Netanyahu and his office – particularly in comparison to the regular cadence of communication that has come from senior Biden administration officials since the war began.
