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Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Friday, July 15, 2022
Biden takes off for Saudi Arabia
US President Joe Biden is wheels up from Ben Gurion Airport, officially on his way to Saudi Arabia.
Just before taking off, Biden stops at the top of the stairs leading to the plane and waves to the crowd, offering a special farewell to Edna Halbani, the indefatigable chief of protocol at the Prime Minister’s Office who has been a near-constant presence during foreign trips for decades.
הנשיא ביידן נפרד מכבש המטוס מהאחת והיחידה: עדנה חלבני. פייר מרגש! @ednahalbani pic.twitter.com/Rf8qNcwKCk
— איתי בלומנטל Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) July 15, 2022
As the plane departs, Prime Minister Yair Lapid delivers short remarks from the tarmac thanking Biden.
