US President Joe Biden has arrived in Tel Aviv, Israel, for the opening leg of his first visit to the Middle East since taking office in January 2021.
The president’s plane touched down at Ben Gurion Airport at 3.09 pm local time on Wednesday, approximately 11 hours after he left Washington. Mr Biden emerged from Air Force One at 3.30 pm, and was greeted by a group of Israeli officials, including President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Yair Laid, Deputy Prime Minister Naftali Bennet, and Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy.
Speaking at a welcome ceremony, Mr Biden said it was “an honour to once again stand with friends and visit the independent Jewish state of Israel”.
Mr Biden recalled how on his first trip to the country in 1973, he’d met then-Prime Minister Golda Meir and one of her aides, future prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, and stressed that he’d had the honour of meeting every Israeli head of government since then.
“I've known every single prime minister and it’s been an honour to form strong working relations with each of them,” said Mr Biden, who added that this visit is his 10th trip to the country.
“Every chance to return to this great country, where the ancient roots of the Jewish people date back to Biblical times, is a blessing,” he said. “Because the connection between the Israeli people and the American people is bone deep”.
Mr Herzog, the Israeli president, welcomed Mr Biden, whom he called “our brother Joseph” to the country, and said the US leader is a “true friend” of the Israeli nation.
“Like the biblical Joseph. You are both a visionary and a leader, committed to advancing the United States of America, the Middle East, the world at large and the State of Israel,” he said.
Mr Lapid noted that Mr Biden had once described himself as a Zionist.
“You said that you don't have to be a Jew in order to be a giant Zionist and you were right,” he said. “And in your case, a great Zionist and one of the best friends Israel has ever known”.
Mr Biden is scheduled to spend two days in Israel, during which he will visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, attend the opening ceremony of the Macabbiah Games — an Olympic-style multi-sport event for Jewish athletes — and participate in the inaugural meeting of the “I2U2” group alongside Israeli, Emerati, and Indian leaders.
The president will also visit the West Bank on Friday for a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas before flying to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to meet with Saudi officials and leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council nations.
“We have a full agenda over the next few days,” Mr Biden said. “Because the relationship between Israel and the United States covers every issue that matters to our mutual futures”.
