Israeli military spokesman: Joe Biden visit would have ‘strategic importance’ as war with Hamas in Gaza rages
- ‘Its strategic importance is for the entire Middle East,’ said Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari amid Israeli media reports that Biden could visit this week
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Tel Aviv on Monday, had to shelter in a bunker when air sirens went off during a meeting with the Israeli PM
A spokesman for Israel’s military said on Monday that a visit by US President Joe Biden to Israel would have “strategic importance”.
Asked by reporters about a possible visit by Biden, which Israeli media has reported could happen this week, Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said a “visit by the president of the United States has strategic importance”.
“Its strategic importance is for the entire Middle East, and the impact in which the highest level figure in the United States comes to Israel in time of war,” Hagari said.
The report comes amid news that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sheltered in a bunker for five minutes on Monday when air sirens went off in Tel Aviv during their meeting.
The two have since moved out and are continuing their discussions at the defence ministry’s command centre, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.
Speaking to reporters after an earlier meeting with Blinken, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said: “This will be a long war; the price will be high. But we are going to win for Israel and the Jewish people and for the values that both countries believe in.”