Jerusalem, 14 July, 2022 (TPS) — Prime Minister Yair Lapid and US President Joe Biden met on Thursday in Jerusalem for a bilateral working meeting with the participation of diplomatic and security teams from both sides, the first phase of the second day of Biden’s visit to the Jewish state.
Lapid, Biden, and the teams discussed regional issues, chiefly Iran and the pending new nuclear deal. Lapid thanked Biden for his decision not to remove the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) from the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).
Lapid stressed Israel’s opposition to a return to the 2015 JCPOA and the need to step up pressure on Tehran and bring it back to the negotiating table for an alternative agreement.
The leaders also emphasized the importance of the Negev Summit, as well as the need to promote cooperation in the region and the desire to expand the circle of countries joining the Abraham Accords.
In March Israel hosted five foreign ministers in the historic Negev Summit: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Morocco Nasser Bourita, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt Sameh Shoukry, the direct outcome of the Abraham Accords the brought normalization between Israel and four Arab countries.
After unveiling the “Strategic High-Level Dialogue on Technology” between the two countries, Lapid and Biden will sign the Jerusalem Declaration later in the day.