Advisors to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett are expected to visit Washington in order to lay the groundwork for a meeting between Bennett and US President Joe Biden, the Prime Minister's Office confirmed on Monday.
Shimrit Meir, senior diplomatic advisor to the prime minister, and Dr. Eyal Hulata whom Bennett appointed National Security Advisor are scheduled to fly to the White House on Sunday and meet with their counterparts Jake Sullivan and Brett McGurk, along with other senior US officials.
Biden expressed his intentions to meet with Bennett in a meeting last month with exiting president Reuven Rivlin.
Bennett, of the right-wing Yamina party, has clashed with the US administration over the subject of Palestinian home demolitions. Since Bennett’s entry into office last month, the US State department made statements against construction in the settlements, a topic that Bennett has often advocated since his entry into political life in 2013.
The meeting between the two is expected to take place sometime in August.
When meeting Rivlin and discussing the appointment, Biden stressed his nation’s unwavering support in Israel. “My team and I are already working closely with the Israeli government,” he told Rivlin. “I am looking forward to hosting Prime Minister [Naftali] Bennett at the White House very soon.”Lahav Harkov contributed to this report.