Israeli leaders thank Biden for ‘steadfast support’ after he quits presidential race
Netanyahu says he will thank US leader in person during DC meeting; Lapid posts photo with Biden, writing ‘Thank you’; ex-PM Bennett: ‘Stood by us in our most difficult moments’
Michael Horovitz is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel
Ahead of his departure for Washington on Monday morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that would thank US President Joe Biden in person for his longstanding support of Israel, adding his voice to the chorus of Israeli public figures expressing gratitude to the Democratic incumbent, who on Sunday announced he was ending his bid for reelection.
“I plan to see President Biden, who I have known for over forty years,” said Netanyahu. “This will be an opportunity to thank him for the things he did for Israel in the war and during his long and distinguished career in public service, as senator, vice president, and president.”
Netanyahu also stressed the importance of the two countries presenting a united front, and said his visit would be an opportunity to discuss with Biden “how to advance, in the critical months ahead, the goals that are important for both our countries.”
“In this time of war and uncertainty, it is important that Israel’s enemies know that America and Israel stand together — today, tomorrow, and always,” he added.
The premier said he would reiterate during his visit that “regardless of who the American people choose as their next president, Israel remains its most indispensable and strongest ally in the Middle East.”
Netanyahu’s comments came more than 12 hours after Biden’s bombshell announcement, and after a raft of other Israeli leaders had already reacted.
Biden, who made his first overseas trip as a young senator to Israel, ended his bid for reelection Sunday following a disastrous debate June 27 with Donald Trump that raised doubts about his fitness for office just four months before the election.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid shared an undated photo on X on Sunday of him shaking hands with Biden, writing, “Thank you.”
President Isaac Herzog extended his thanks for Biden’s “friendship and steadfast support for the Israeli people over his decades-long career.
“As the first US president to visit Israel in wartime, as a recipient of the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor, and as a true ally of the Jewish people, he is a symbol of the unbreakable bond between our two peoples,” Herzog posted on X, noting the president’s visit to Israel in the aftermath of the October 7 massacres.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant thanked Biden for his “unwavering support of Israel over the years.”
“Your steadfast backing, especially during the war, has been invaluable,” he added. “We are grateful for your leadership and friendship.”
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett called Biden “a true friend of Israel who stood by us in our most difficult moments.”
Thank you. pic.twitter.com/mJtvHwDIqT
— יאיר לפיד – Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) July 21, 2024
“During my tenure as prime minister, I witnessed his unwavering support of the State of Israel. Thank you for everything,” he wrote on X.
Yair Golan, head of the Labor-Meretz union The Democrats, wrote, “There has never been a Zionist President” like Biden, thanking him for his support “during our most difficult days.”
I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to @POTUS Joe Biden for his friendship and steadfast support for the Israeli people over his decades long career.
As the first US President to visit Israel in wartime, as a recipient of the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor, and as a true…
— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) July 21, 2024
“President Joe Biden is a lover of Israel, a man who stands beside us during the most difficult period for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. He is humble, moral, and a loving person,” wrote Yesh Atid MK Merav Ben Ari on X.
Religious Zionism MK Michal Woldiger also thanked Biden for his support for Israel.
“I wish him good health, and the continuation of strong friendships with the Democratic Party and the US as a whole,” she wrote.
President Biden is a true friend of Israel who stood by us in our most difficult moments.
During my tenure as Prime Minister, I witnessed his unwavering support of the State of Israel.
Thank you for everything.
— Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט (@naftalibennett) July 21, 2024
Biden has held close ties with Israel throughout his political career. As a 30-year-old fresh senator, he visited Israel in 1973, where he met then-prime minister Golda Meir.
The US leader has noted his encounter with Israel’s only female premier several times, and once called it “one of the most consequential meetings I’ve ever had in my life.”
After Hamas-led terrorists burst across the border on October 7, murdering some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages to Gaza, Biden spoke in detail of the brutal atrocities carried out during the massacre and provided Israel with a boost in weapons shipments in order to effectively carry out its war against Hamas.
He also warned neighboring countries seeking to enter the fray during those initial days of the war: “Don’t.” And he demonstrated his support by sending two aircraft carrier strike groups to the eastern Mediterranean Sea to deter an all-out war with Iran, Hezbollah, and other groups.
But US-Israel tensions have simmered in recent months over the civilian toll in Gaza and the pace of delivery of humanitarian aid there, as well as the lack of a tangible plan by Netanyahu for Gaza’s post-war governance. Concerned with Israel’s offensive in Rafah, Biden withheld certain arms from the country, leading Netanyahu to publicly feud with the administration.
One member of Netanyahu’s government even explicitly endorsed Biden’s rival, former US president Donald Trump, in the upcoming election.
Despite the tensions, Biden recently reaffirmed his support for Israel and his identification as a Zionist.
Lazar Berman, Jacob Magid and AP contributed to this report.
