Biden’s refusal to meet Netanyahu at White House for 9 months is ‘insane’ and ‘dangerous,’ I told CBN News

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – Are U.S.-Israeli relations – terribly strained at the moment – about to get much better?

Or will they continue to deteriorate?

Yesterday, on the “Faith Nation” program, I was interviewed by CBN News anchors John Jessup and Jenna Browder about the state of the U.S.-Israeli alliance.

“Today’s meeting between the president and prime minister was the first time the two have actually met since Bibi returned to office almost nine months ago,” Jessup noted. “What does that say, Joel, about the state of U.S.-Israeli relations?

“The short version is: This is insane,” I told him.

“You're talking about the President of the United States – who calls himself a Zionist and probably is the most pro-Israel person in the entire Democratic party – refusing for nine months to meet with the democratically elected prime minister of Israel while Iran is getting all of President Biden's attention.”

“President Biden just gave $6 billion to the terrorist regime in Tehran,” I added. “He's begging Iran to rejoin a deeply flawed nuclear deal. And yet this is the first time that Biden would sit down in person and meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu – and not even at the White House?”

“It's wrong at every possible level. And it shows daylight between Jerusalem and Washington, which is dangerous in this particular region where I live.”

Later, I made the case that “Netanyahu and Biden need to work together because we are allies facing great opportunities.”

“The possibility of a Saudi-Israeli normalization deal – that would be huge. I've been writing about it, talking about it for years. I even wrote a novel about it. Seemed like fiction at the time, but it's getting closer. So, they've got to work together to make it happen. And Biden's got to get much tougher on Iran. And so far, all we're seeing is appeasement. And this $6 billion gift to the terrorist regime in Tehran just this week.”

I wish we’d had more time to discuss Biden’s appeasement of Iran.

While I’m glad five Iranian-Americans have been set free by Tehran, Biden’s willingness to pay the Iranian regime so much money isn’t going to end the regime’s passion for hostage-taking; it’s going to prove to the mullahs that taking Americans hostage is a lucrative and successful business.

So, what’s the bottom line?

I told the CBN anchors that the state of the U.S.-Israeli alliance “is not healthy” right now, but at least Biden and Bibi finally met face-to-face.

Let’s pray that their behind-the-scenes meeting was positive.

Let’s also pray that in the coming days, we’re going to hear specifics about how Biden is working hard to strengthen and deepen the alliance and repair the breach that he has created.

Here’s one specific thing to pray for: Before the press corps, Biden told Netanyahu yesterday that he hopes to see Bibi at the White House “before the end of the year.” However, on camera, Biden didn’t extend a specific invitation for Bibi to come to Washington on a specific date. Let’s pray that when the press corps left the room, Biden was more specific and that we’ll see such a meeting happen soon.

Such a meeting isn’t simply important for symbolic reasons, though optics are important in politics.

Such a meeting is important because Biden and Bibi and their most senior advisors need extensive time to talk in far more depth and detail about neutralizing the Iran threat together and bringing the Israel-Saudi peace deal to a successful conclusion.

The following is a transcript of my interview with CBN News, lightly edited for clarity.

JOHN JESSUP: Turning to a long-awaited meeting between the United States and Israel – seen as a bit of a snub for not being held at the White House. Today’s face-to-face on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly between the president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comes months after distancing from the White House over concerns of a judicial overhaul in Israel and Israeli settlement expansions on the West Bank. The two world leaders discuss the threat to Israel from Iran and a potential Israel-Saudi normalization deal.

PRESIDENT BIDEN [soundbite]: If you and I ten years ago were talking about normalization with Saudi Arabia, I think we would have looked like, “Who's been drinking what?”

PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: Good Irish whiskey.

BIDEN: But even though we have some differences. My commitment to Israel, as you know, is ironclad. I think without Israel, there's not a Jew in the world that's secure.

JESSUP: Netanyahu also noted during the meeting that the pair had been friends for over 40 years.

JENNA BROWDER: And for more on this, we're joined by Joel Rosenberg, host of THE ROSENBERG REPORT on TBN and a New York Times best-selling author based in Israel. Joel, welcome. So, today's meeting between the president and prime minister was the first time the two have actually met since Bibi returned to office almost nine months ago. What does that say, Joel, about the state of U.S.-Israeli relations?

ROSENBERG: Well, I don't know if you want the short version or the long version. The short version is: This is insane. I mean, so, you're talking about the president of the United States – who calls himself a Zionist and probably is the most pro-Israel person in the entire Democratic Party – refusing for nine months to meet with the democratically elected prime minister of Israel while Iran is getting all of President Biden's attention. Right? President Biden just gave $6 billion to the terrorist regime in Tehran. He's begging Iran to rejoin a deeply flawed nuclear deal. And yet this is the first time that Biden would sit down in person and meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu – and not even at the White House? It's wrong at every possible level. And it shows daylight between Jerusalem and Washington, which is dangerous in this particular region where I live.

JESSUP: Joel, why do you think that is? Do you think it's because Biden feels differently about Netanyahu and Israeli relations, or do you believe that he's just bowing to pressure from the left flank of the Democratic Party?

ROSENBERG: Well, I think it's both, actually, John. I think you've got a situation where, you know, Bernie Sanders, The Squad, the very hard-edged anti-Israel factions, they're not dominating the actual numbers of the House or Senate Democratic caucus. Right? Those numbers are not big. But the influence that they have seem to have over Joe Biden is immense.

Why has Biden not been willing yet to invite Netanyahu to the White House? Because he's saying that, you know, “Netanyahu is threatening democracy and sort of hanging out with bad political actors” Netanyahu does have some bad political actors in his coalition, but so does Joe Biden – [such as] Bernie Sanders, AOC, Rashida Tlaib.

But Netanyahu and Biden need to work together because we're allies facing great opportunities. The possibility of a Saudi-Israeli normalization deal – that would be huge. I've been writing about it, talking about it for years. I even wrote a novel about it. Seemed like fiction at the time, but it's getting closer. So, they've got to work together to make it happen. And Biden's got to get much tougher on Iran. And so far, all we're seeing is appeasement. And this $6 billion gift to the terrorist regime in Tehran just this week. It's not healthy. But at least they finally met.

BROWDER: Joel, today's meeting comes against the backdrop of judicial reform pushed in Israel. President Biden has been very critical of that push. Where do things stand now with judicial reform?

ROSENBERG: Well, I think Netanyahu, to his credit, has sort of dialed down the temperature here in Israel. Meaning, he's slowed down the process. Only one of the measures of judicial reform – only one bill – has actually passed. It's being reviewed by the Supreme Court right now. We'll see how that all gets resolved. But I think Netanyahu has heard the will of the Israeli people, that even those of us who believe that reform is necessary believe he was pushing too far, too fast. And some of his plans were actually not good.

But I don't think President Biden and the American White House ought to be weighing in and interfering in domestic Israeli judicial reform concerns. That really has nothing to do with the American White House. And I think, again, Biden says he loves Israel, but this is not showing love and respect and a strong alliance at a moment of great peril, but also great opportunity for Israel. It's not good, but that's where we are at the moment.

JESSUP: Joel, we're going to have to leave it there. Wish we had more time. We always wish we had more time with you. Joel Rosenberg, host of THE ROSENBERG REPORT, thank you so much for being with us.

ROSENBERG: My pleasure. Thanks, guys.