Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has vowed to not publicly campaign against the Biden administration’s efforts to rejoin the 2015 Iran nuclear deal; this, despite the Israeli leader’s opposition to the potential move. During a meeting Friday at the White House with President Joe Biden, Bennett stressed that he would not engage in public disgreements with American officials, a point he raised earlier in the week in sit-downs with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
Nevertheless, the Israeli premier made clear that he does not believe Washington should reenter the agreement from which former president Donald withdrew in 2018, specifically citing Tehran’s increased uranium enrichment and arguing that sanctions relief would provide the Islamic Republic with more resources to support Israel’s enemies.
However, Bennett asserted that Jerusalem would never ask for American troops to defend the Jewish state: “That’s our job. We will never outsource our security,” he said. “It’s our responsibility to take care of our fate. But we do thank you for the tools and the back[ing] you’ve been giving us and you’re giving us.”
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
For his part, Biden said that he and Bennett would continue to “discuss the threat from Iran and [the US’] commitment to ensure Iran never develops a nuclear weapon. We’re putting diplomacy first and seeing where that takes us,” the US president noted. “But if diplomacy fails, we’re ready to turn to other options,” he added without elaborating.
The meeting beteen the leaders was postponed for one day following a suicide bombing at the airport in Kabul that killed 13 US troops and scores of Afghan cvilians. In their Oval Office meeting, Bennett expressed 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
Meanwhile, indirect talks between the US and Iran have stalled as regional hostilities simmer.
The Israel Defense Forces struck targets belonging to Hamas in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the launching of incendiary balloons into the Jewish state and violent Palestinian riots along the shared border. The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said the air strikes struck a Hamas military compound used for training and weapons production as well as a shaft leading to a terror tunnel near Jabalya.
Incendiary balloons flown into Israel have over the past week ignited more than 10 fires.
On Saturday evening, hundreds of Gazans rioted along the border fence, burning tires and throwing explosive devices at IDF troops who have been reinforced by special forces and tank units.
The violence came even as Israel announced that it would be easing additional restrictions that were placed on Hamas-ruled Gaza following the 11-day conflict in May, including expanding the entry of goods and equipment earmarked for international civilian projects.
Over 3,000 pro-Israel lawyers and activists have called on European countries to pull out of an upcoming event marking the 20th anniversary of the infamous Durban Conference.
The Durban IV Conference is slated to take place at the United Nations in New York on September 22.
The International Legal Forum (ILF) said in a letter to UN ambassadors and foreign ministers that the gathering, first held in South Africa in 2001, has “descended into an infamous hotbed of unbridled Jew-hatred, antisemitism and vilification of the State of Israel.”
ILF suggested that the conference had “revived the ‘Zionism is Racism’ slur, outrageously claimed Israel is an ‘apartheid state,’ distorted the Holocaust and made numerous Nazi analogies. It also became the birthplace and catalyst of the modern boycott, divestment and sanctions [BDS] movement, which seeks the destruction of the State of Israel as its ultimate goal.”
The group sent the letter to countries that have adopted the IHRA working definition of antisemitism.
Numerous states have already announced that they will not send representatives to Durban IV, including the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Austria, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Israel, France, Germany, and, most recently, Bulgaria.
On his first visit to Washington this week as prime minister, Naftali Bennett had not intended to stay over the weekend. But the terror attack in Afghanistan pushed forward his meeting with US President Joe Biden from Thursday to Friday, and the Orthodox premier’s team quickly made arrangements for him to spend the Sabbath at his hotel as COVID-19 restrictions prevented the Israeli leader from attending synagogue.
With some help from the Israeli Embassy and Chabad’s Washington, D.C. representatives, one of the hotel’s rooms was converted into a makeshift synagogue, replete with a Torah scroll and ark.
Prayer books and yarmulkas were also provided to the staff to enable all those who wished to partake.
לראשונה הקימו בית כנסת מאולתר במלון שבו מתארח ראש ממשלת ישראל. הקונסול וקצין המנהלה של שגרירות ישראל בוושינגטון דאג לספר תורה גדול מבית חב”ד ובמה. ושם יתפללו בשבת בנט ואנשי צוותו. הערב תתקיים קבלת שבת עם דבר תורה, קידוש וארוחת ערב pic.twitter.com/purOaJwQVw
— Itamar Eichner (@itamareichner) August 27, 2021
Israeli swimmer Mark Malyar took home the gold in the men’s 400m freestyle at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was the fifth medal that athletes from the Jewish state have won.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett congratulated Malyar, saying, “in the name of all Israel, I congratulate you on your major accomplishment…. “The Paralympic team – you’re the most exciting and inspirational team in the world; your incredible accomplishments are just a bonus.”
President Isaac Herzog also called Malyar to congratulate him on his victory.
Culture and Sport Minister Chili Tropper praised the swimmer for “filling Israel with pride.”
Yehuda Mormenstein, head of the Aleh Association that treats Israelis with disabilities, hailed Malyar for “breaking the glass ceiling and giving hope to so many people and families who saw you resolutely overcome all challenges and break the world record.”
Recommended Reading
- Full Text: Biden and Bennett’s Statements at the White House (Times of Israel)
- Quora Writers Say ‘Unchecked Jew-Hatred,’ Holocaust Denial Persist on Popular Q&A Site (Sharon Wrobel, Algemeiner)
- Nearly Half of Jewish College Students Say They or Someone They Know Have Been Spat On (Josh Boswell, Daily Mail)
- After Afghanistan’s Last Jew Refused to Leave, His Would-Be Jewish Rescuers Helped Dozens of Other Afghans Escape Instead (Ron Kampeas, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
- Western Wall Cleared of ‘Notes to God’ Ahead of Rosh Hashanah (Reuters and Israel Hayom)
