There are no preconditions to Netanyahu visit, White House says

National security adviser Jake Sullivan says 'When we’ve got a visit to announce, we’ll announce it', downplays Washington-Jerusalem tensions: 'a lot of the sturm und drang on the media has been overblown'
Daniel Edelson, New York|
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White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Thursday downplayed tensions between the U.S. and Israel that have emerged since Benjamin Netanyahu regained the position of Israeli prime minister late last year, and added there were no preconditions to his long-awaited visit to Washington.
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It is customary for every Israeli leader to meet with the U.S. president in Washington after winning an election, but President Biden had not yet extended an invitation to Netanyahu and had even gone as far as publicly announcing that there would not be a White House visit for Netanyahu anytime soon, responding to a reporter's question on the tarmac between flights. This happened one day after U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides had reassured Israeli reporters that the visit would happen very soon.
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פגישתם של בנימין נתניהו וג'ייק סאליבן בירושלים
פגישתם של בנימין נתניהו וג'ייק סאליבן בירושלים
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: GPO)
“When we’ve got a visit to announce, we’ll announce it. There’s not some set of conditions or circumstances. The president has had a long relationship with Netanyahu and we remain deeply engaged with the Israeli government day by day. So a lot of the sturm und drang on the media has been overblown,” Sullivan told the Washington Institute’s Annual Conference.
He said he held a video conference with Israeli counterpart Tzachi Hanegbi on Wednesday, with Netanyahu joining in for part of it. However, he did not mention when Biden would invite Netanyahu to visit Washington.
Sullivan also said the United States will "take the necessary action to ensure that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon" and still seeks a diplomatic outcome to the challenge posed by Tehran.
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ג'ו ביידן
ג'ו ביידן
U.S. President Joe Biden
(Photo: GettyImages)
"Yes, we will take the necessary action to ensure that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon," Sullivan said. "At the end of the day, that is the fundamental test - Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. They do not today and they cannot have one."
Sullivan said Washington was working with allies including Israel to deter Iran from developing a weapon.
"We will continue to send a clear message about the costs and consequences of going too far, while at the same time continuing to seek the possibility of a diplomatically brokered outcome that puts Iran's nuclear program back into a box," he said.
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5.
America teaches "small potatoes" leader what his place is!
FW Crisps| 05.05.23
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4.
For years the Prime Minister has lectured POTUSes
He's been, how shall we politely, diplomatically, say? Quite a bit full of himself...or as American rumour has it..."a chicken $h!t leader who doesn't know his place" It would now seem that politely, diplomatically this American Administration is assisting the Prime Minister in learning precisely what his place is...all the while without damaging the solid relationship between the USA and Israel. Well done USA! Well done, indeed!
Shabbat Yerushalemi| 05.05.23
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Justified lecturing to ignorant or antisemitic Americans
The Muslim POTUS needed such lecturing the most
Woke hypocrite | 05.06.23
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