Waldorf AstoriaJerusalem, Israel
PM LAPID: Mr. President, in March 1965, at Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous march from Selma to Montgomery, a Jewish rabbi walked next to him in the front row – Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. When he returned home that day, Rabbi Heschel wrote in his diary, “Today I felt my legs pray.”
In the State of Israel, Mr. President, our legs pray every single day. Nothing is – in our lives is taken for granted. My father was a Jewish child in the Budapest ghetto, hiding from those who tried to kill him.
The fact that I am standing here today did not happen by itself. We learned the lesson, Mr President: Israel must be strong, free and secure at all times, with a strong army capable of defending our citizens.
Whether it’s Joshua crossing the Jordan River or Dr. King, who crosses the Alabama River, the principle is the same: If you want your independence, your hands must defend you, and your legs must pray for you. You must march fearlessly towards the river.
Last year, with Russia’s unwarranted invasion of Ukraine, with the Iranian nuclear threat becoming more dangerous, and with the threats of terrorism worldwide, we were all reminded of something: To protect freedom, sometimes force must be used. Nobody wants it, but we can not shy away from it either, on the side of the terrorists and people who will not hesitate to exploit any weakness, people who do not – who do not follow the rules.
Those of us who were fortunate enough to be born as free people sometimes do not understand the intensity of the hatred behind the attack on democracy.
What did we do to them? What makes them crash planes into skyscrapers in New York and fire rockets at kindergartens in the city of Sderot? The answer is fear.
What scares them the most is that their citizens, their people can see us, can see our quality of life – the dynamism and creativity of our economy, the rights of women and the LGBTQ community, freedom of religion, freedom of expression.
Our lifestyle is what threatens them. That is what is causing the Iranian regime to develop – its nuclear program, Hezbollah is pointing its missiles at us, and terrorist organizations around the world are sending suicide bombers. They want to destroy the only Jewish state in the world. We will never let that happen.
Words will not stop them, Mr President. Diplomacy will not stop them. The only thing that will stop Iran is to know that – if they continue to develop their nuclear program, the free world will use force. The only way to stop them is to put a credible military threat on the table.
They have said many times, Mr President, that great countries do not bluff. I completely agree. It should not be a bluff, but the real thing. The Iranian regime must know that if they continue to deceive the world, they will pay a high price.
Here in the Middle East, we have an alternative now. It grows and gains power. We are creating an alliance of moderate countries that believe in peace, that believe that our children deserve the opportunity to live a better life.
From here you travel from Jerusalem – the eternal capital of the state of Israel – to Saudi Arabia. Your visit to Saudi Arabia is important for Israel and for the whole region, for our security and for the future and prosperity of the Middle East.
We are sending a message of peace with you to all the nations of the region – including, of course, the Palestinians.
Israel wants peace and believes in peace. We will never give an inch of our security. We are committed to being careful at every step. But to any country, any nation that wants peace and normalization with us, we say, “Ahlan wa sahlan. Shalom. Welcome.”
Sir. President, you will meet with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Iraq. I would like you to send them all a message from us:
Our hand is outstretched for peace. We are ready to share our technology and experience, ready for our people to meet and learn about each other, ready for our researchers to collaborate and our companies to collaborate.
The Book of Psalms says all this in one verse. Chapter 29 reads: “(Speaks Hebrew.) The Lord will give strength to his people. The Lord will bless his people with peace.”
If we are strong, if we are determined, if the world understands that we will not hesitate to defend ourselves and our values, peace can come.
Sir. President, our relationship is deep. It crosses party boundaries. It connects not only our governments but also our people.
This friendship is one of the cornerstones of Israel’s national security. It moves and it is certainly not taken for granted.
Throughout your years in the public service, you have been one of the chief architects behind this relationship. For this you have the eternal gratitude of the people of Zion.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Thank you very much, Prime Minister. An eloquent statement.
I am honored to be back here in the capital of Israel.
As I said yesterday, I have met every single Prime Minister
since Golda Meir, and it was a pleasure to be able to spend some time with you today and get to know you better.
Sir. Prime Minister, a deep love and respect for Israel has only taken a deeper grip on my heart and my stomach since I first visited here back in 1973 as a young senator.
I will return for my 10th visit as President – this time as President of the United States. But I have never forgotten
what Prime Minister Meir told me when I was a brand new junior senator from the state of Delaware. It was only weeks before the Yom Kippur War and she could see on my face that I was worried.
As we stood in front of the press and took questions and pictures, she looked at me, and without a press conference, she said, “Do not look so worried, Senator. Israel has a secret weapon.”
And I looked at her as I turned my head and she told – I just looked at her and she said, “We have nowhere else to go.” I will never forget what she told me. That was almost 50 years ago. 50 years ago, the threats were real at the time. And the threats against Israel are still real today.
The scourge of anti-Semitism is still circulating around the world, and we must never forget the horrors that uncontrolled hatred can lead to.
And that is why I immediately – when I returned, I would visit Yad Vashem – when I landed yesterday – to witness, remember, renew our promise of: never – never again.
At the same time, the Israeli – Israel today is not Israel 50 years ago.
You have cultivated new resources, capacities, new relationships, including a growing integration with neighbors in the region.
You have new tools that keep Israel strong and secure. You have an iron-clad commitment from the United States to Israel’s security. An iron-clad engagement. We want to make sure that Israel can defend itself.
When I was Vice President under President Obama, we passed a record-breaking agreement on Israel’s security – $ 38 billion over a 10-year period.
And I was proud that last year we also provided an additional $ 1 billion to rebuild Israel’s Iron Dome supplies, making 2022 the largest single year of military assistance Israel has ever received.
Yesterday I saw some of Israel’s Iron Dome technology, as well as the very promising new Iron Beam technology – a laser-activated missile defense system. These technologies and advances are critical. They are critical because every rocket that is intercepted is a potential life – perhaps more – that has been saved.
And as we move forward together, partners in both security and innovation, the United States and Israel’s defense sectors will work together in new high-energy laser weapon systems that can defend Israel’s Israeli lives, as well as the lives of US officials.
Israel and the United States also stand together to defend fundamental values and guarantee global security, prosperity and freedom, not only for us but for many around the world.
And Putin’s attack on Ukraine is a challenge to peace and stability around the world. Putin’s war must be a strategic failure, and the free world must uphold our will to help Ukraine defend its democracy.
The United States will continue to support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people who have been destroyed and displaced by Russian violence.
Today, you and I also discussed America’s commitment to ensuring that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.
This is a vital security interest for both Israel and the United States and, I would add, for the rest of the world as well.
I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way to achieve this result.
And we will continue to work with Israel to counter other threats from Iran throughout the region, including its support for terrorism and the ballistic missile program that continues, and the proliferation of weapons to terrorists and agents like Hezbollah.
We will also continue to build on the Abrahamic Agreements, which I strongly support because they deepen – they deepen Israel’s integration into the wider region and establish lasting ties for business, cooperation and tourism.
We have just concluded the first leadership summit among Israel, India, the United States and the United Arab Emirates
to deepen the economic ties between the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, to create new partnerships to tackle global challenges, such as food insecurity and clean energy technology.
Regional integration is also the goal of the historic Negev Forum, which took place here in Israel last March.
Israel’s integration into the region, Israel’s peace with its neighbors – these are essential goals.
Tomorrow I will be the first US President to fly from Israel directly to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It represents an important step forward.
And when I see the Saudi leadership tomorrow, I will carry a direct message – a message of peace and extraordinary opportunities that a more stable and integrated region can bring to the region and, frankly, the whole world.
As we work together towards greater integration – greater integration, we will also continue to work for – towards a lasting negotiated peace between the State of Israel and the Palestinian people.
Israel must remain an independent, democratic, Jewish state – the ultimate guarantee and guarantor of the security of the Jewish people, not only in Israel, but throughout the world. I believe that deep down.
And the best way to achieve that is to remain a two-state solution for two people, both of whom have deep and ancient roots in this country, living side by side in peace and security. Both states fully respect the equal rights of their citizens; both people enjoy equal amounts of freedom.
And anything else that brings us further from that result – I think – is all detrimental to Israel’s long – term security.
Prime Minister Lapid, Israel and the United States are natural partners because we share the same values. Our people share the same innovative spirit, the same will to maintain and sustain every single challenge.
That is why we are launching a new high-level strategic dialogue on technology to help Israel and the United States leverage critical and new technologies and apply them to issues that matter most to our common future.
So thank you, Mr. President [Prime Minister], for welcoming me back, for promoting the lasting ties and continuing those that connect the people of Israel and the United States.
That’s what this visit is all about: confirming the ties that stretch back to just 11 minutes – 11 minutes after Israel’s declared state, when the United States became the first country in the world to recognize Israel. And I assure you it will be the last country in the world to ever walk away from Israel.
Bands that have become deeper and broader with each passing year and that now include a 21st century partnership based on timeless values and looking directly to the future.
We have come to stay, Mr President – Mr Prime Minister. Do you like it or not, we are with you. There is no way out.
I want to thank you very, very much for your hospitality. And I mean it from the bottom of my heart that your security, the security – it – is going to determine the security of Jewish people around the world for the rest of the world. It’s critical. And we’m in it with you. Thank you.
MODERATOR: Thank you very much, Mr President. And before we move on to – a question, there was a technical change on stage.
(The technical equipment on the stage is adjusted.)
PRESIDENT BIDEN: These guys work terribly hard.
PRIME MINISTER LAPID: Yes, we are just standing here.
MODERATOR: Thank you very much. We will now answer questions from the press. The first to ask a question to Mrs Gili Cohen from Channel 11, Israeli television.
Q Thank you, Mr President. I would like to ask: will you set a deadline for the nuclear negotiations or define a specific phase in which you will say that there is no longer any possibility of reviving the nuclear agreement? And what will happen afterwards?
And another question, sir. You are visiting East Jerusalem tomorrow and you will not be accompanied by an Israeli official. Does this represent a change in your administration’s view of the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and if East Jerusalem is part of it? Thank you.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: The answer to your last question is no.
As for your first question, we have laid out for the people – for the Iranian leadership, what we are willing to accept in order to get back into the JCPOA. We are waiting for your reply. When it will happen again – when it’s coming, I’m not sure. But we are not going to wait forever.
MODERATOR: Mr. President, will you –
PM LAPID: The question was to the President.
MODERATOR: Mr. President, will you answer the next question?
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Of course. I got a list here. Steve Holland from Reuters.
Q Thank you, sir. Thank you. There is some opposition at home to your meeting with Saudi leaders this week. What would you say to Saudi leaders, specifically to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, about the Khashoggi assassination and other human rights practices?
And if I may, Prime Minister Lapid, how close are you to an agreement with Saudi Arabia to obtain overflight rights? And should we expect it soon? Thank you.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: As for the question you asked me, my views on Khashoggi – they have been quite, positively clear. And I’ve never been quiet about talking about human rights.
The question that I am – the reason I am going to Saudi Arabia, however, is much broader. It’s to advance American interests – to advance American interests in a way that I think we have an opportunity to confirm what I think we did wrong by moving away from: our influence in the Middle East.
I have to meet with nine other heads of state. It’s not only – it happens to be in Saudi Arabia. And then there are so many questions at stake that I would like to make it clear that we can continue to lead the region and not create a void, a void filled by China and / or Russia, against both Israel and Israel’s interests. USA and many other countries.
And so the purpose of the visit is that – is to coordinate with nine heads of state what is in the interests of the United States, and I also believe in the interests of Israel.
Q So you do not expect to bring up human rights?
MODERATOR: Well, let’s let the Prime Minister –
PRESIDENT BIDEN: I want to take up – I always take up human rights. I always take up human rights. But my attitude towards Khashoggi has been so clear. If anyone does not understand it in Saudi Arabia and everywhere else, then they have not existed for a while.
PM LAPID: On Saudi Arabia’s overflights, we are, of course, as I said in my speech, to promote normalizations with all countries in the region, as far as possible. But since the president is going to Saudi Arabia, and he – there will be a completion of the questions over there, I will let the president finish this when he is in Jeddah.
MODERATOR: Thank you, Prime Minister.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: I’m optimistic. (Laughter.)
MODERATOR: And the next question comes from Tal Schneider from the Times of Israel.
Q Hey, hey. Thank you for being in Jerusalem. It is good to see you.
Israelis have been waiting to hear developments in the Visa Waiver Program. We know there are obstacles, but – to get there. But can you set a deadline by which Israelis will be granted a dispensation to travel into the United States? Will you bring up this issue with the opposition leader, Netanyahu, when you meet him today?
And another question for our Prime Minister: There is a discussion on regional defense cooperation involving Israel and the Saudis, but we hear that there are technical difficulties as well as other reservations from the Saudis regarding the defense system, which means that it is mostly about Israel shares its intelligence, its intelligence. How do you see the collaboration evolving along with these issues?
PRESIDENT BIDEN: As for your question to me, we are working very, very, very hard to eliminate the lack of precision in the applications, many times, for the visa program. It is my hope and my expectation that we will get it resolved over the next few months.
PM LAPID: And we are jumping on the topic, and we urge the Israeli opposition to stay – to be more accountable and help with the necessary legislation to end this.
As for your question, it’s no secret that we, along with our American friends, are doing our best to work on a regional security architecture. So this was no secret. The details of this are apparent, so I will not go into details about this.
But we are working with everyone we can to promote regional security, especially in the face of the Iranian regime and the terrorist policies they bring to the table.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Okay. The next person to ask a question, I suppose – (laughs) – is Nadia.
Q Thank you, Mr President. Nadia Bilbassy from Al Arabiya Television. Allow me to push you a little on Iran, if I may.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: (laughs.) No, I will not allow that. (Laughter.) We must – we must go. (Laughter.)
Q (laughs.) It’s you – you visit the Middle East here in Israel, and then you go to Saudi Arabia, where you meet with King Salman and other GCC leaders.
You know in advance before you come here, their attitude, their concern, their fear of Iran’s nuclear program and Iran’s support for clerks in the region.
Tangible, what do you offer them to alleviate their fears and worries, practically? Is it something you offer them to make them feel comfortable with the United States being on the same side with them?
And if I may, Mr Prime Minister, what are the differences and similarities between you and President Biden regarding Iran? Do you see eye to eye with all the problems? You alluded to some differences right now.
And, if I may, then I would like you today to confirm your position on supporting the two-state solution as interim prime minister, and if you were to be elected as Israel’s next prime minister. Thank you.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: With regard to Iran and convincing the Saudis and others that we are – mean what we say is that we mean what we say. They have the opportunity to accept this agreement that has been established. If they do not, we made it very clear: we will not – let me say it again – we will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.
PM LAPID: On the issue of Iran, we have an open discussion on what is the best way to deal with it. But I do not think there is a light between us in terms of – it is all means to an end.
We cannot allow Iran to become a nuclear weapon. Israel claims the right to act freely on the subject. But of course we discuss everything with our biggest ally, which is the United States.
On the two-state solution, I have not changed my position. A two-state solution is a guarantee of a strong democratic state of Israel with a Jewish majority.
MODERATOR: Thank you very much. This concludes the signing ceremony and the press conference. Please remain seated until the managers have left the room.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Many thanks to you all.
