(Washington) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with President Joe Biden at the White House this week as planned, despite Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race, a person familiar with the president’s schedule said Sunday.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said the exact timing of the meeting had not been determined because Mr. Biden is recovering from COVID-19.
Mr Netanyahu is expected to address Congress on Wednesday. He is also expected to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris, who is now seeking the Democratic nomination.
An official in the Israeli leader’s office confirmed that Netanyahu was scheduled to travel to Washington on Monday. The official also spoke on condition of anonymity pending an official announcement.
Mr Netanyahu leaves behind a brutal war to deliver the politically precarious speech at a time of great uncertainty highlighted by Joe Biden’s decision on Sunday not to seek reelection.
With efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, growing concerns about the war spreading to Lebanon and Yemen, and the dizzying US presidential campaign, the Israeli prime minister’s speech has the potential to sow dismay on both sides of the ocean.
The risks have only increased with Joe Biden’s exit from the presidential race, especially as the choice of the next Democratic nominee – and the potential next American leader on whom Mr Netanyahu will have to rely – remains up in the air.