Biden hosts Israel’s Netanyahu at White House amid Gaza war protests

Washington, DC – US President Joe Biden has held talks at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a day after thousands protested against the Israeli leader’s visit to the United States capital amid the Gaza war.

US Vice President Kamala Harris, the likely Democratic presidential nominee in November’s election, is also meeting Netanyahu later on Thursday.

The talks come after the Israeli prime minister delivered a fiery defence of Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians and created a humanitarian catastrophe, in an address to a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday.

Several US lawmakers boycotted the speech and thousands of protesters gathered at the US Capitol to call on Washington to cut off military assistance to its “ironclad” Middle East ally. More protesters also gathered in front of the White House on Thursday.

The Biden administration has continued to provide unwavering support to Israel amid the conflict in Gaza, authorising billions of dollars in military aid and providing Israel with key diplomatic backing.

US officials said Biden planned to push Netanyahu during their White House meeting to finalise a three-phase ceasefire deal with Hamas that Biden first presented in May.

Speaking from the Oval Office before the talks began, Netanyahu said he “looked forward” to working with Biden, who withdrew from the 2024 election race on Sunday, during the remainder of his term.

“I look forward to it as well,” Biden responded.

Ahead of the meeting, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said he believed a Gaza truce deal was close. “We believe the gaps can be narrowed,” Kirby said in a video statement.

“We believe it’s absolutely urgent to get those hostages back home with their families where they belong, get a ceasefire in place, so that we can work towards a cessation of hostilities there in Gaza,” he said.

Biden and Netanyahu also met the families of Americans held captive in Gaza before the Israeli premier was scheduled to hold talks with Harris, who has been catapulted into the role of likely Democratic presidential candidate.

While Harris has been relatively more outspoken than other members of the administration about the humanitarian toll in Gaza, a senior administration official told reporters there is “no daylight between the president and vice president” on Israel, according to The Associated Press.

‘Much tougher’

Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher said the White House has indicated that Biden – now no longer seeking re-election – is expected to take a tougher stance with Netanyahu than he has in previous exchanges throughout the war.

“Although there were warm words during Netanyahu’s speech to the joint session of Congress on Wednesday, the reality is that Joe Biden and him have been at odds about the way the war has been conducted for some time,” Fisher said ahead of the meeting.

“What we are hearing from the White House is that Joe Biden will be much tougher on Benjamin Netanyahu this time,” he explained.

“And you’ve got to see that through the prism of Joe Biden thinking about his legacy. He would like to see a ceasefire deal – something that he has pushed for, something that his team negotiated.”

Still, former President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump – a staunch supporter of Israel during his term in the White House – has loomed large over Netanyahu’s visit.

The Israeli prime minister took time to praise many of Trump’s actions while in office during his speech to Congress.

Netanyahu pointed to the Trump-mediated Abraham Accords, which saw Israel establish ties with several Arab countries, as well as Trump’s decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognise Israel’s claim to the Syrian-occupied Golan Heights.

Netanyahu will meet Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Friday.

The Israeli leader is expected to attempt to mend ties with the former president, who had previously condemned Netanyahu for accepting Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.

Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, Trump said it was “very nice” that Netanyahu referred to him during his speech.

Still, he said Israel needs to move faster to end the war in Gaza, if only to repair its “public relations”.

“Israel has to handle their public relations. Their public relations are not good. The world is not taking lightly to it,” said Trump, adding that Hamas’s attacks on southern Israel on October 7 would not have happened if he were president.