Biden set to begin meetings with top Israeli officials, release full ‘Jerusalem Declaration’

By Lazar Berman

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14 July 2022, 10:32 am

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Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter

US President Joe Biden, center, fist bumps Prime Minister Yair Lapid, right, as they participate in an arrival ceremony with President Isaac Herzog, left, after Biden arrived at Ben Gurion Airport, July 13, 2022. (Evan Vucci/AP)

After a first day of US President Joe Biden’s visit described by senior Israeli officials as successful, the more substantive day begins.

The president’s schedule starts at 11:15 a.m. with a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Yair Lapid at Jerusalem’s Waldorf Astoria hotel, followed by a broader meeting with their respective staffs.

Lapid and Biden will sign a joint declaration that will include the administration’s backing for extending the massive defense package Washington provides to the Jewish state, a senior US official said last night.

They will also release the full “Jerusalem Declaration” that, in addition to backing Israel’s security, will also see the sides commit to never allowing Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.

The two leaders will express support for the Abraham Accords and Israel’s integration in the region. The declaration also highlights shared concerns for global security issues, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with the leaders offering their support for Ukrainian sovereignty.

At 12:30, Biden and Lapid will participate in a four-way I2U2 virtual meeting with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Mohammed Bin Zayed. The US official said last night that the meeting would include an announcement of $2 billion for agricultural parks in India that Abu Dhabi will help fund and that will use Israeli technologies.

At 2 p.m., Biden and Lapid will hold a press conference at the hotel, in which they will field two questions from US journalists and two from Israeli reporters.

Biden’s day continues at the President’s Residence, where he will meet privately with President Isaac Herzog at 4:45 p.m.

While at the residence, Biden will hold a 15-minute meeting with opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, after which Herzog will award Biden the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor in a festive ceremony.

The US president ends his day with Lapid at the opening ceremony of the Maccabiah Games at 7:30 p.m.