Biden takes fire from both sides ahead of Herzog meeting
Source: The Hill
Biden takes fire from both sides ahead of Herzog meeting
BY LAURA KELLY - 07/18/23 6:00 AM ET
President Biden’s meeting Tuesday with Israeli President Isaac Herzog has already drawn fire from both sides of the political spectrum, as the president seeks to advance his policies in the Middle East despite strained relations with Jerusalem.
The meeting between Biden and Herzog will help lay the groundwork for a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the fall. But it will also highlight Biden’s concerns about Israel’s future as a democracy and escalating violence with Palestinians.
Biden is outspoken in his criticism against extreme members of Netanyahu’s government and plans to push ahead with judicial reforms that have spurred mass protests in Israel. Herzog is viewed as a key mediator in managing tensions between Washington and Jerusalem.
“I am certain that behind-the-scenes Biden will be communicating to Herzog all of the different ways in which the administration is upset with the Israeli government and with the direction that Israel is taking,” said Michael Koplow, chief policy officer of Israel Policy Forum, a nonprofit that supports a two-state solution to the Israeli and Palestinian conflict.
“I think that in this case, Herzog is more of a conduit to relay messages back to Netanyahu.”
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Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/international/4102489-biden-takes-fire-from-both-sides-ahead-of-herzog-meeting/
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