Biden departs Israel for Saudi Arabia
The latest updates from US President Joe Biden's first official trip to Israel since taking office.
US, Israel establish tech dialogue ahead of Biden visit
The first meeting of the Strategic High-Level Dialogue on Technology is set to take place in Israel in the coming months.
Israel and the US established a strategic partnership in advanced technology, the countries announced while US President Joe Biden was en route to Israel on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Yair Lapid said that the Strategic High-Level Dialogue on Technology “puts Israel at the forefront of global innovation and solidifies its status as a leading technological power.”
“Our vision for one million [Israelis working] in hi-tech begins with international cooperation that will bring new opportunities for the hi-tech sector in Israel,” Lapid added.
The dialogue will be established by the national security advisers, focusing on strategic technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum, solutions to climate change and pandemic preparedness.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger were among 15 officials joining Biden on the two-day trip.
“Our vision for one million [Israelis working] in hi-tech begins with international cooperation that will bring new opportunities for the hi-tech sector in Israel.”
Prime Minister Yair Lapid
The goal
The goal of the joint declaration is to express the special relationship between the US and Israel and position Israel as the leading ally of the US in the field of technology.
The first meeting of the Strategic High-Level Dialogue on Technology is set to take place in Israel in the coming months.
The US has similar partnerships with Great Britain, Australia and Japan in the fields of AI and quantum.
Go to the full article >>Israeli NGO to Biden: Mr. President this is apartheid
Biden is a strong proponent of a two-state resolution to the conflict and plans to meet separately with Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
"Mr. President this is apartheid," stated the Israeli left-wing NGO B'Tselem in a signage campaign it launched hours before Biden's anticipated arrival in Israel.
It has placed the large signs off of steep signs and buildings in the two Palestinian cities of Bethlehem and Ramallah.
Biden is a strong proponent of a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and plans to meet separately with Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas during his three-day trip.
B'Tselem last year, however, issued a report which charged that in reality, there is only one Israeli "apartheid regime" that controls the entire area from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.
Two international NGOs, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International issued similar reports.
Israel and the United States have rejected all such claims, with US Ambassador to Israel calling it "absurd."
B’Tselem Executive Director Hagai El-Ad said on Wednesday, "The US must acknowledge that the area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea is governed by an apartheid regime, and change its attitude to Israel accordingly. When the attitude changes – so will the regime.”
The left-wing NGO Peace Now in contrast put up a sign in Tel Aviv with an Israeli and a Palestinian flag that stated, "President Biden, welcome to the two countries we love the most."
Go to the full article >>Israel to push Biden on trade corridor connecting Israel and Gulf
Reportedly, Finance Minister Liberman met with Lapid to ensure that the Middle East trade corridor would be brought up in talks with Biden during his visit.
A new highway and railway system throughout Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia could facilitate tens of billions of dollars in trade, according to a special paper prepared by the Finance Ministry ahead of US President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel.
The “Corridors for Economic Integration” plan
The paper was drafted by Shira Greenberg, the ministry’s Chief Economist, under the direction of Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman. Government officials said that Liberman met in recent days with Prime Minister Yair Lapid to ensure that its main points would be brought up in talks with Biden during his visit to Israel which begins on Wednesday and will end on Friday.
The paper – which was prepared in English so it could be shared with the Biden administration and obtained by The Jerusalem Post – pushes for a new plan called “Corridors for Economic Integration” which would create a regional transportation network including railways and highways linking Israel with Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.
“By creating a direct connection between the Gulf and the Mediterranean, the network will allow for dramatically shorter shipment times between East and West,” the paper claims. “The project thus has the potential to facilitate trade on both a regional and global level, in addition to enhancing regional economic cooperation.”
The future is already here - at least some of it
Some sections of the network are already in stages of development, according to the paper. In Israel, a railway runs from the port of Haifa to Beit She’an, which is only 10 km from the border with Jordan. In Saudi Arabia, the North-South Railway links the east and center of the country with the north, all the way up to the border with Jordan.
In the Gulf, there is a railway under development planned to connect the railways of all Gulf countries, in particular those in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
“By creating a direct connection between the Gulf and the Mediterranean, the network will allow for dramatically shorter shipment times between East and West.”
Finance Ministry
"The missing link"
The distance, the paper said, of the “missing link” between the Saudi-Jordanian border and the crossing between Israel and Jordan where the railway almost reaches is just 200 km.
The network, the paper claims, could facilitate trade between the Gulf, Europe, North Africa and the east coast of the Americas. “The existence of numerous relevant and significant trade flows is expected to provide the project with robust demand – as traders in all relevant countries will seek to take advantage of reduced shipment times and direct access to regional markets,” the paper says.
In the paper, the Finance Ministry calls on the Biden administration to take the reins of the initiative to bring all of the relevant stakeholders together to facilitate its success. It calls on the US to
“While preliminary analyses have shown the project’s potential, a full cost-benefit analysis carried out on behalf of all involved parties by an experienced international partner, could also help the sides decide on the next steps,” it says. “We believe that the current positive atmosphere of regional cooperation will allow us the opportunity to move forward in these regards.”
Go to the full article >>These are the roads that will be closed during Biden's visit to Israel
US President Joe Biden will visit Israel between Wednesday and Friday, and roads will be closed according to his schedule.
US President Joe Biden will arrive on Wednesday for a presidential visit in Israel that will consist of a packed schedule that includes visits with Prime Minister Yair Lapid, President Isaac Herzog and opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu.
Biden will also visit Yad Vashem and attend the opening ceremony for the Maccabiah Games at Teddy Stadium. Before he leaves for Saudi Arabia, the president is expected to visit the Palestinian Authority, and then a farewell ceremony attended by Lapid will be conducted at Ben-Gurion Airport.
Due to the visit, Israel Police announced that between Wednesday and Friday, traffic obstructions are to be expected on the roads leading to Jerusalem.
Which roads will be closed?
On Wednesday afternoon, the entrance to Jerusalem will be closed from Ginot Sahrov Junction until Yad Vashem as well as Weizmann Street and Herzl Boulevard until Holland Junction.
Toward the end of Biden's visit to Yad Vashem, Holland Junction and Shmuel Bait Street will be closed in both directions as well as the entry to Smuel Bait from Begin Boulevard.
Other roads that will be closed are Bazak-Herzog, Aza and Keren Hayesod, as well as around Paris Square. Since Biden is staying at the King David Hotel, King David Street will be closed for the duration of the president's visit.
On Thursday, King David Junction and Jabotinsky Street, Paris Square and Hillel Junction will be closed in the morning and afternoon. In the evening, King David, Keren Hayesod, Aza, Herzog and Golomb streets will be closed.
From Friday morning, Yitzhak Kariv, Agron, King Solomon, Heil Ha'Handasa, Chaim Bar-Lev and Yitzhak Ha'Nadiv streets, as well as University and Paratroopers boulevards will be closed. Later in the morning, Hativat Jerusalem and Derech Hebron will also be closed.
Other preparations
Throughout the visit, over 16,000 police officers, Border Police officers and volunteers will be stationed in order to keep the public peace.
At the same time, the Defense Ministry announced that it has completed its preparations for Biden's landing.
Hundreds of journalists, invitees, an 85-meter-long red carpet and hundreds of flags will await the president when he lands at Ben Gurion.
In the space where the welcoming ceremony is to be held, a tribune with 150 seats and podiums for journalists and photographers has been set up as well as a tent for the journalists.
The Airports Authority issued a recommendation for passengers to arrive at Ben Gurion via train only after 1 p.m. on Wednesday. It also announced that all flights, both national and international, will be arriving in Terminal 3 until Friday afternoon. Outgoing international flights will be returned to Terminal 1 in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The Jerusalem Municipality announced that during Biden's visit, changes will be made to train and bus schedules, and parking regulations.
Go to the full article >>Israel, US to declare ‘strategic partnership’ during Biden visit
The agreement includes a joint stance against Iran’s nuclear program and regional aggression to ensure Iran never attains a nuclear weapon.
The Jerusalem Declaration of the US-Israel Strategic Partnership will be a centerpiece of US President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel on Wednesday through Friday.
The agreement includes a joint stance against Iran’s nuclear program and regional aggression, with both countries saying they will use “all elements of national power” to ensure Iran never attains a nuclear weapon.
In addition, President Biden will reaffirm his commitment to Israel’s security, including its qualitative military edge and ability to defend itself by itself.
Helping Israel defend itself
The declaration states the US plans to follow up on the 10-year $38 billion Memorandum of Understanding on military aid signed with Israel, addressing emerging threats and new developments in the region.
Iran is at the top of Israel’s agenda for bilateral meetings with the Americans at all levels, including Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s meeting with Biden, a senior Israeli official said.
“Iran is continuing to violate its obligations and continues to deceive the international community,” the official said.
“Things published in recent weeks – and even just yesterday – statements by our American counterparts, reflected that,” referring to a remark by US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan that Iran plans to provide Russia with hundreds of drones.
“Iran is continuing to violate its obligations and continues to deceive the international community"
Israeli official
When it comes to indirect negotiations between Iran and the US on the latter’s nuclear program, “Iran is playing for time,” the official added. “As long as Iran believes time is on its side, it will not give in or make any concessions. Time has run out [on the 2015 Iran deal], and it is crucial to exert pressure on Iran.”
Collaboration with the Biden administration on the Iran front is “very strong,” and Israel is grateful for it, the official stated, expressing hope that work on a joint strategy will be taken “to the next level” during Biden’s visit.
Why issue the Jerusalem Declaration?
The Jerusalem Declaration will be “a living testimony to the unique quality, depth and scope of the US-Israel relationship,” an Israeli diplomatic source said on Tuesday. “It expresses the warmth and profound commitment to the relationship on both sides, specifically [the US commitment] to Israel’s security, prosperity and wellbeing.”
The full text of the declaration was not released to the public.
The document also recognizes the “regional architecture” of cooperation between Israel and Arab states in recent months with US involvement.
“It is basically saying the US is very much committed to working with Israel and our partners and friends to try to transform the region,” the source said.
Where is Saudia Arabia in all of this?
Biden is expected to announce an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel that would allow the former to regain control of two islands in the Straits of Tiran, with Israel agreeing to change security arrangements stipulated in its peace treaty with Egypt that included an international military force on those islands.
The security arrangements for Israel will be moved onto what will remain Egyptian land. Saudi Arabia is expected to allow Israeli commercial flights in its airspace, as well as limited direct flights from Israel for Muslims making the pilgrimage to Mecca.
The president plans to fly directly from Israel to Saudi Arabia, which “encapsulates a lot of the dynamics evolving over the last months,” the Israeli official said. “In a few days it will be out in the open. We hope the steps taken now are only the beginning, and will be the start of a process of normalization between the countries.”
In addition, Jerusalem praised the rapprochement between Washington and Riyadh signified by Biden’s visit.
Israel also hopes to accelerate efforts to participate in the US visa waiver program during Biden’s visit, though progress on that front faced domestic political obstacles in Israel.
Biden is expected to arrive in Israel on Wednesday afternoon for his 10th visit to the country, his first as president.
The visit will begin with a Defense Ministry presentation at Ben-Gurion Airport, in which Defense Minister Benny Gantz, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi and others will brief the president and display a “multi-tiered air defense array” including the Iron Dome and the Iron Beam laser-based missile defense system, still in development.
After that, Biden will meet with two American-Israeli Holocaust survivors at Yad Vashem.
The next day, the president will hold a lengthy meeting with Lapid, followed by a news conference.
President Isaac Herzog will then hold a reception for Biden, at which he will present the US president with a medal of honor. Cabinet ministers will be in attendance at the President’s Residence.
Biden will go to the Maccabiah Games with Lapid.
He is not scheduled to have dinner with Lapid on either day of his trip, which is unusual for presidential visits.
Biden plans to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on Friday, as well as to visit Augusta Victoria, a Palestinian hospital in east Jerusalem, where he will announce that the US is restoring aid to Palestinian hospitals in the city.
The Biden administration declined to allow Israeli officials to accompany the president in eastern Jerusalem, signaling that they do not recognize that part of the city as Israeli.
Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) began to circulate a petition calling on Biden to cancel the hospital visit, writing that it would “reward the Palestinian Authority, which continues to support terrorist activities, terrorist attacks, and violence against Israeli citizens on the Temple Mount. The Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, which you supported as a senator, affirms the United States’ policy of preserving Jerusalem as a united city while upholding freedom of religion and equal rights for all religious and ethnic groups.”
Go to the full article >>Important facts
- Biden will be in Israel until Friday.
- He will meet with both Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
- Ahead of the visit, the US and Israel announced the establishment of a tech dialogue between the countries.