Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett concluded a formal visit to Washington that lasted from Wednesday 25^th to Sunday 29^th August 2021. The visit included a 50-minute meeting with the American President Joseph Biden and other meetings with the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense.

The meeting came at a critical timing, coinciding with the American withdrawal from Afghanistan and the evacuation of diplomatic envoys and Afghani contractors from Kabul. The inconvenient timing resulted in putting off Bennett’s meeting with Biden from Thursday to Friday, due to the latter’s participation in reception of the bodies of the American soldiers who had been killed in the airport bombings in Kabul.

The main goals of the visit include exerting pressure on the American Administration to take a stricter position against Iran to decrease its control in the region and prevent it from having nuclear technology. Bennett also addressed the American funding of the iron dome and the cancelation of Israeli visas to the US. Bennett also promoted himself before the American administration as an alternative to Netanyahu, whose time witnessed serious disagreement with the American democrats. He also aimed to reinforce his personal relationship with Biden and his government.

Bennett’s visit also had some indirect objectives such as maintaining the Israeli military supremacy in the region and increasing cooperation agreements in fields of economy, technology and innovation. Israel also partakes in the internationally significant issues such as the climate crisis and the international efforts against COVID-19.

Analysis and Insight

• Bennett’s visit to Washington is the first foreign visit since he took over. The visit earns its high significance because it is an opportunity for Biden to promote himself to the American Administration and pressure it to take firmer measures against Iran.
• The visit aimed to revive the occupation’s relationship with the United States after the tension it witnessed during Netanyahu’s administration and encourage the US to play a bigger role in the region after its recent withdrawal from Afghanistan.
• The occupation continues to demonize Iran as a strategic threat to regional security. This is seen in the Israeli proposition to form a regional alliance with the Gulf States and Jordan under US supervision against Iran.
• Bennett’s visit to the United States achieved relative satisfaction among Israelis, due to Biden’s firm statement against Iran along with his threat of using force in case of diplomatic failure and clear position against Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons.
• The United States played a balanced diplomatic role regarding the Palestinian cause, as Biden brought up in his meeting with Bennett the Israeli Judaization practices in Al-Quds and requested the Israeli government to stop the evacuation of Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

Situation Report

The outputs of the visit are summarized in an American role that is balanced between the occupation’s desire of escalation against Iran and the US strategy of containing the Iranian ambitions of developing nuclear technology. The American firm tone against Iran is insignificant unless accompanied by actual measures on the ground.

In addition, the United States achieved an important objective of the visit; meeting and evaluating the new comer to the Israeli government, exploring the nature of possible future cooperation, ensuring continued alliance and preventing Netanyahu’s return.