Biden officials said to hold talk on how to handle incoming Israeli government

White House officials reportedly held a meeting last week to discuss how to best deal with the expected far-right incoming Israeli government.

According to the report in Axios, a forum within the National Security Council known as the “deputies committee” met to discuss how to engage with the incoming coalition, which is expected to include multiple extremist ministers.

The group of officials did not make any final decisions on the issue.

An official familiar with the matter tells The Times of Israel that US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides is currently not planning to meet with Itamar Ben Gvir, the leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party who prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu has tapped to become the next national security minister.

On Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the White House would judge the next government “by the policies and procedures, rather than individual personalities.”