JERUSALEM — President Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday to begin a four-day visit to the Middle East that will focus on trying to slow Iran’s nuclear program, get oil to American gas pumps and improve relations with Saudi Arabia. Nearly 50 years after his first trip to Israel as a senator-elect, Mr. Biden returned for the first time as president and wasted no time in seeking to reaffirm his staunch support for the Jewish state despite friction over his efforts to negotiate a new nuclear agreement with Iran. “Any opportunity to return to this great country where the ancient roots of the Jewish people date back to biblical times is a blessing, because the connection between the people of Israel and the people of America runs deep,” Mr. Biden said during a brief arrival. ceremony at Ben Gurion Airport. “Generation after generation, this connection grows.” Mr. Biden, who noted, as he often does, that he has known all of Israel’s prime ministers since Golda Meir, whom he met on his first trip in 1973, was making his 10th visit to Israel and appeared eager to dispel the notion that he is anyone less supportive of the country than his predecessor, President Donald J. Trump, who made his support for Israel a cornerstone of his foreign policy. “Our relationship is deeper in my view than it has ever been,” Mr. Biden said. Greeting him as he disembarked from Air Force One, Israeli leaders echoed the sentiment, stressing that they considered Mr. Biden a friend and making little note of their differences. President Isaac Herzog called him “our brother Joseph,” stating, “You are truly among the family.” The country’s interim prime minister, Yair Lapid, called him “a great Zionist and one of the best friends Israel has ever known.” “It is a very personal visit,” Mr. Lapid said, “because your relationship with Israel has always been very personal. You once defined yourself as a Zionist. You said you don’t have to be Jewish to be a Zionist. And you were right.” Without elaborating on that, Mr. Lapid confirmed that the two leaders would discuss Iran and their joint efforts to strengthen cooperation among Middle Eastern countries. Once isolated in the region, Israel is increasingly involved in regional diplomacy, following major diplomatic deals with three Arab countries in 2020 — and officials hope further progress will be made during Mr Biden’s visit. Mr. Biden also touched on another area of potential tension, reiterating his support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after criticism that his administration has not prioritized the issue. “We will discuss my continued support, even though I know this is not a new term, for a two-state solution which remains in my view the best way to ensure a future of equal measures of freedom, prosperity and democracy for Israelis and the democracy. The Palestinians equally,” Mr. Biden said. Before his arrival, the Israeli government had made several small gestures toward the Palestinians, including granting new work permits for Gazans. But while Mr. Biden will visit Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem, restoring communications that were broken during the Trump presidency, there is little expectation that the visit will make progress in resolving the dispute. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, cut a regional figure at the welcoming ceremony. Now out of office, he is the leader of the opposition and will have only a brief meeting with the president on Thursday. But he and Mr. Biden have a warm, if often fraught, relationship dating back four decades, and the American leader pointed to Mr. Netanyahu’s quest during a group photo for Israeli and American officials. Mr. Biden gave Mr. Netanyahu a long, warm hug, and both men gave the impression that they were happy to see each other. The president’s trip comes at a delicate time in Israeli politics. A fragile governing coalition recently collapsed, leaving Mr Lapid to serve as interim prime minister until November elections, in which Mr Netanyahu hopes to return. At the end of the welcoming ceremony, Mr. Lapid joked about his and Mr. Biden’s respective routes after the two met earlier in Washington. He told Mr Biden: “I don’t know if you remember, but eight years ago we met in the White House when you were vice president. You said, “If I had hair like yours, I’d be president,” to which I replied, “And if I were only your height, I’d be prime minister.”
