He added, “I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way to achieve this outcome. We will continue to work with Israel to address other threats from Iran throughout the region, including support for terrorism and the program of ballistic missiles that continues and the proliferation of weapons to terrorists and proxies such as Hezbollah.” The president said he would convey that message to the Saudi leadership when he travels to Saudi Arabia on Friday and said: “In terms of Iran and convincing the Saudis and others that we mean what we say is — we mean what we say we say”. Biden has pushed for a revival of the Iran nuclear deal, from which former President Donald Trump withdrew the US in 2018, as he faces growing pressure from key allies in the Middle East to come up with a plan to contain Iran. Biden’s hosts in Israel oppose a new nuclear deal with Iran, and the previous version of the deal was unpopular in that nation. But hopes appear to be fading that the deal will materialize, and the President on Thursday acknowledged that the US is “not going to wait forever” for a response from the Iranian leadership. Standing alongside Biden at the press conference, Lapid was dismissive of another nuclear deal as a means to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. “Words will not stop them, Mr. President. Diplomacy will not stop them. The only thing that will stop Iran is knowing that if it continues to develop its nuclear program, the free world will use force. The only way to to stop them is to put a credible military threat on the table,” Lapid said. Biden said in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 News that aired Wednesday that he would use force “as a last resort” to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, but did not specify what that meant. Iran was a main topic of discussion during Biden and Lapid’s bilateral meeting on Thursday, and the two leaders signed a new joint statement on Thursday aimed at expanding the security relationship between their nations and countering Iran’s efforts to destabilize the region. The President reiterated the US’s “ironclad commitment” to Israel’s security. The President voiced his support for the Abraham Accords, one of Trump’s legacy achievements that normalized relations between Israel and several Arab countries and sought to expand growing Arab-Israeli security and economic ties. He also emphasized US support for expanding Israel’s integration into the region — a major theme of Biden’s four-day trip to the Middle East. Biden also reiterated his support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during the press conference. “Israel must remain an independent, democratic Jewish state, the ultimate guarantor and guarantor of the security of the Jewish people not only in Israel but throughout the world. I believe that deeply,” Biden said. He continued, “And the best way to achieve this remains a two-state solution for two people, both of whom have deep and ancient roots in this land living side by side in peace and security. Both states fully respect the equal rights of their citizens, of both people enjoying equal measures of freedom, and anything else that takes us away from that outcome, I think anything that is detrimental to the long-term security of Israel.” The US and Israel on Thursday also launched a new high-level strategic dialogue on technology, which officials said is designed to strengthen cooperation between the two nations on pandemic preparedness, climate technology, artificial technology and more reliable technology ecosystems. The President on Thursday also participated in the first virtual meeting of leaders of the “I2U2” group, which also includes Israel, India and the United Arab Emirates. The focus of Thursday’s meeting was food security as well as promoting clean energy, Biden said before the meeting. The UAE has announced that it is investing $2 billion in agricultural parks in India to address the food security crisis. “This unique group of countries aims to harness the vibrancy of our societies and entrepreneurial spirit to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing our world, with a particular focus on joint investment and new initiatives in water, energy, transport, space, health and health and food security,” read a joint statement by the leaders of India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. Biden met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at his residence and was to discuss Herzog’s diplomatic efforts to further integrate Israel into the region, officials said. Herzog presented Biden with Israel’s Presidential Medal of Honor, and Biden said the award was “one of the greatest honors of my career.” The President will then meet with former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two leaders have a relationship that spans nearly four decades that began when Biden was a junior senator. However, it was not always smooth sailing between the two men. Netanyahu made no secret of his disdain for former President Barack Obama — the feeling, by all accounts, was mutual — and Biden was deeply embarrassed when a visit to Israel as vice president in 2010 coincided with an Israeli government announcement endorsing plans for new residential houses. “Of course, they go back many years and know each other well. And we are clear during this visit that the relationship between the United States and Israel is about the countries, our strategic cooperation as two states — not about individual leaders,” he said an official. Biden will also meet with US athletes competing in the Maccabiah Games, an international Jewish and Israeli multi-sport event, and attend part of the opening ceremonies. This story was updated with additional developments on Thursday.
