The White House said, Thursday, it has “every expectation” that President Joe Biden will meet Israeli Premier, Benjamin Netanyahu, when he visits the US capital next week, despite Biden’s recent coronavirus diagnosis, Anadolu Agency reports.
National Security Council spokesperson, John Kirby, told reporters that final details have to be worked out, but emphasised that Biden’s recovery from the virus is the current priority.
“Obviously, we need to make sure that the President’s health and his recovery from COVID takes priority, and if and how that might affect a discussion with Prime Minister Netanyahu – we’re just not in a position today to be able to know, “he said.
The White House announced Biden’s diagnosis Wednesday while he was campaigning in Las Vegas. He has since flown to his home state of Delaware where he is self-isolating.
Kirby described his symptoms as “mild”.
Netanyahu is scheduled to go to Washington to address a joint session of Congress on 24 July, after receiving an invitation from the Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, and Democratic Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, in May. It was co-signed by the top Republican in the Senate and top Democrat in the House.
The Democrats have come under mounting pressure from constituents about the invitation, which comes as Israel continues a devastating war against the Gaza Strip where the death toll is rapidly approaching 40,000.
The vast majority of the dead have been women and children. Nearly all of the coastal enclave’s 2.3 million residents have been forced into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, medicine and other necessities.
READ: Israel has bombed 8 schools in the Gaza Strip in the past 10 days, says UNRWA head