Israeli President Herzog met Biden at the White House today, less than a week before Israel's elections.
The Biden administration has expressed concerns that if opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu wins the elections and forms a right-wing government, it will include Jewish supremacist politicians.
In such a situation, Herzog will become an even more critical player in the U.S.-Israel relationship.Herzog met on Tuesday with Secretary of State Tony Blinken and discussed Iran's involvement in the war in Ukraine, the maritime border agreement between Israel and Lebanon, and the escalating tensions in the occupied West Bank, the State Department and Herzog’s office said.
Blinken told Herzog he is concerned about the situation in the West Bank and emphasized the need for all parties to urgently de-escalate the situation, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.Herzog’s aides said he wants to use the visit to send a message ahead of the elections in both the U.S. and Israel that the relationship between the countries should continue to be bipartisan.
“My visit here in a sensitive political period in both Israel and the U.S. is meant to stress that our friendship will continue regardless of the results of the elections in Israel and in the U.S.," Herzog told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday.