US President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Friday that diplomacy was his first option vis-à-vis Iran, but he would consider other options if his effort to revive the nuclear deal fails.
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Biden and Bennett met one-on-one for 45 minutes before giving a statement to the press.
"We are going to discuss the threat from Iran and our commitment to ensure Iran never develops a nuclear weapon. We're putting diplomacy first and seeing where that takes us. But if diplomacy fails, we're ready to turn to other options," Biden said without elaborating.
He stressed to Bennet the US commitment to ensuring Iran never developed a nuclear weapon.
Bennet seemed pleased with the pledge, saying, "I was happy to hear your clear words that Iran will never be able to acquire a nuclear weapon. You emphasized that you'll try the diplomatic route but there are other options if that doesn't work out."
It was an honor to welcome Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to the White House today. We strengthened the enduring partnership between our two nations and underscored the United States' unwavering commitment to Israel's security. pic.twitter.com/nZYxp9zsWd
– President Biden (@POTUS) August 27, 2021
Israel has long maintained it would take its own action against Iran if Tehran continued to threaten its interest and safety. It was even ready to use the US military aid it receives to that end.
Bennett arrived at the White House aiming to dissuade Biden from returning to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that was brokered during the Obama administration and later scrapped by President Donald Trump.
Since the US withdrawal from the deal in 2018, Tehran has abandoned every limitation the accord imposed on its nuclear enrichment. The country now enriches a small amount of uranium up to 63%, a short step from weapons-grade levels, compared with 3.67% under the deal. It also spins far more advanced centrifuges and more of them than were allowed under the accord, worrying nuclear nonproliferation experts even though Tehran insists its program is peaceful.
Bennett said he came with his own strategy to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions that he would discuss in private with Biden. He made clear his opposition to an Iran deal, arguing that Tehran has already advanced in its uranium enrichment and that sanctions relief would give Iran more resources to support Israel's enemies in the region.
"These days illustrate what the world would look like if a radical Islamic regime acquired a nuclear weapon; that marriage would be a nuclear nightmare for the entire world," Bennett said.
"Iran is the world's number one exporter of terror, instability, and human rights violations. And as we sit here right now, the Iranians are spinning their centrifuges in Natanz and Fordo. We've got to stop it. And we both agreed."
Bennett also said Israel would never ask American troops to defend it.
"That's our job. We will never outsource our security. It's our responsibility to take care of our fate. But we do thank you for the tools and the back you've been giving us and you're giving us," he stated.
The meeting, originally scheduled for Thursday, was postponed for one day as Biden focused his attention on dealing with the aftermath of a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport that killed 13 US troops.
The two spoke by phone Thursday evening, with the Israeli leader offering Biden condolences. In their Oval Office meeting, Bennett again offered his condolences over the loss of US service members.
On behalf of the people of Israel, I share our deep sadness over the loss of American lives in Kabul.
Israel stands with the United States in these difficult times, just as America has always stood with us.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of the United States.
– Naftali Bennett בנט (@naftalibennett) August 26, 2021
"These very days illustrate what the world would look like if a radical Islamic regime acquired a nuclear weapon," Bennett said. "That marriage would be a nuclear nightmare for the entire world."
Biden then expressed his "unwavering, unwavering commitment that we have in the United States to Israel's security. And I fully, fully, fully support replenishing Israel's Iron Dome system," he said.
The US will work to bring "value-added" to encourage the trend of Israel's nascent ties with Arab and Muslim states,the president added.
Bennett added that "Israel will always stand by the US. We trust your support. Israel knows we will never have a better and more trusted ally in the world other than the US."
The Israeli leader met separately Wednesday with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to discuss Iran and other issues.
Bennett told his cabinet before the trip that he would tell the American president "that now is the time to halt the Iranians, to stop this thing" and not to reenter "a nuclear deal that has already expired and is not relevant, even to those who thought it was once relevant."
Biden has made clear his desire to find a path to salvage the 2015 landmark pact negotiated by the Obama administration. But indirect talks between the US and Iran have stalled and Washington continues to maintain crippling sanctions on the country as regional hostilities simmer.
Bennett's Washington visit comes weeks after Ebrahim Raisi was sworn in as Iran's new president.
Raisi, 60, an ultra-conservative cleric with close ties to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has suggested he'll engage with the US But he also has struck a hard-line stance, ruling out negotiations aimed at limiting Iranian missile development and support for regional militias – something the Biden administration wants to address in a new accord.
Administration officials acknowledged that Iran's potential "breakout" – the time needed to amass enough fissile material for a single nuclear weapon – is now down to a matter of months or less.
But a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the talks, said the administration sees the maximum pressure campaign employed by the Trump administration as having emboldened Iran to push ahead with its nuclear program.
Bennett is also looking to turn the page from his predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu had a close relationship with Trump after frequently clashing with President Barack Obama. Biden, who noted Friday that he has met with every Israeli prime minister since Golda Meir, had his own tensions with Netanyahu over the years.
During his latest White House campaign, Biden called Netanyahu "counterproductive" and an "extreme right" leader.
Biden and Bennett also have their differences. Bennett opposes the creation of a Palestinian state and supports expansion of settlements in the West Bank, which Biden opposes.
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The two sides played down the Palestinian issue Friday in an apparent attempt to avoid any public friction at this early stage of their relationship.
When it comes to the Palestinians, Biden only said: "We also are going to discuss ways to advance peace and security and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians."
The president also said he will direct his staff to work on a visa waiver program between Israel and the US, which Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced after his meeting with Bennett on Wednesday.
Biden praised the new Israeli government as "the most diverse in Israel's history."
The new coalition wants to do good, but "in the Middle East, it's not enough to be good. If we want to do good, we have to be strong," Bennett stated.
"We can't lose sight for a moment of the fact we are in the toughest neighborhood in the world," he added, listing the many terrorist groups on Israel's borders. "This is why we have to be stronger than all of our enemies combined."
