From the Liveblog of
Thursday, July 14, 2022
Disagreeing with Lapid, Biden says diplomacy ‘the best way’ to counter Iran
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
US President Joe Biden publicly disagrees with Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s insistence that diplomacy won’t stop Iran’s nuclear program.
“I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way,” he says.
At the same time, Biden says that there is “an ironclad commitment from the United States of America to Israel’s security.”
“We’ll make sure Israel can defend itself, by itself.”
(Video of the press conference is here:)
Biden says his visit has caused his “deep love and respect for Israel” to take a deeper hold in his heart.
Biden stresses that the US will “continue to work for a negotiated peace between Israel and the Palestinians.”
He says that “Israel must remain an independent, democratic Jewish state.”
“The best way to achieve that remains a two-state solution for two peoples, both of whom have deep and ancient roots in this land.”
Anything that takes the sides further from that is “detrimental to the long-term security of Israel.”
Biden says in response to a question that the US is working “very, very hard” to get Israel on the Visa Waiver Program.
Biden says that he will carry a message of peace to the Gulf from Israel.
The president says that Israel and the US will cooperate on high-energy laser missile defense systems.
Russia’s war in Ukraine “must be a strategic failure,” says Biden, “and the free world must sustain our resolve to help Ukraine defend its democracy.”
“The US will continue to support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.”
