During the 78th United Nations General Assembly on September 20, U.S. President Joe Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York. The two leaders discussed a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual concern. Biden emphasized that the U.S.-Israel relationship should be built on the foundation of "shared democratic values."
A poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that while Americans generally view Israel as a partner or ally, many question whether Netanyahu's government truly embraces the so-called American democratic values.
After Netanyahu's government returned to power last year, attempts to implement judicial reforms sparked weeks of protests. Many reservists also protested by refusing to serve. Opponents believe these reforms would limit the power of the Supreme Court, expand the current government's authority, and push Israel towards autocracy under Netanyahu.
The Biden administration has repeatedly expressed concerns about this. According to AXIOS, during a call with Netanyahu on May 18, Biden, speaking as a friend, hoped to find common ground with Netanyahu on judicial reforms. After the call, the White House stated that Biden emphasized that "democratic values have always been, and must continue to be, the hallmark of U.S.-Israel relations." On July 24, after the Israeli parliament approved Netanyahu's judicial reforms, the White House described it as "unfortunate," seeing it as a disregard for the U.S. president and hoped to find "broad political consensus" with Netanyahu.
Furthermore, Israeli security forces launched multiple attacks in the West Bank this year, resulting in Palestinian casualties. Israel continues to expand its settlements in the West Bank. The United Nations reported a significant escalation of violence in the West Bank this year, especially during Israel's most intense military operation in nearly two decades in the northern Jenin area of the West Bank from July 3 to 4.
Clearly, Netanyahu's judicial reforms and military actions run counter to the so-called democratic values of the U.S., leading to policy disagreements between the two nations.
However, according to Al Jazeera, diplomatic analysts suggest that as the U.S. elections approach, the Biden administration needs to maintain closer ties with Israel to promote a peaceful resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict and normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, aiming for a foreign policy victory ahead of the elections.
It's reported that during the meeting, Netanyahu told Biden, "Mr. President, I believe under your leadership, we can establish a historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Such peace would first help end the Arab-Israeli conflict and achieve reconciliation between the Islamic world and the Jewish state, and secondly, promote genuine peace between Israel and Palestine."
The White House released a statement saying Biden emphasized the need for immediate measures to improve the ongoing tense situation and economic conditions in the West Bank, promoting fair and lasting peace between Israel and Palestine.
It's evident that Netanyahu and Biden have reached some level of consensus on the issue of violent conflicts. In exchange, Biden assured Netanyahu that the U.S. would ensure Iran never obtains nuclear weapons, the U.S. will continue to maintain close ties with Israel, and plans to include Israel in its visa waiver program.
Currently, 40 countries and regions are on the U.S. visa waiver program list, with most being developed European countries. Citizens from these countries and regions can travel to the U.S. without a visa and stay for up to 90 days.
However, the peace process between Israel and Palestine remains fraught with challenges. Al Jazeera reports that Saudi Arabia will continue to firmly support the "Arab Peace Initiative," which calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state and a "fair solution" to the plight of Palestinian refugees. For Israel's far-right government, although they made concessions during talks with Biden, it remains to be seen if their actual stance will change over time.
In addition, Biden and Netanyahu also discussed the U.S.-led India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor (IMEC), an initiative aimed at expanding U.S. influence in the Middle East through investment.
