Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett presented President Biden in their meeting today with what Israeli officials described as “a death by a thousand cuts” strategy against Iran.
Why it matters: Besides striking up a personal relationship, Bennett's primary goal in his first meeting with Biden was to express his sense of urgency about the significant progress Iran was making in its nuclear program, and Israel's new government conducted an Iran policy review prior to the visit.
Behind the scenes: The strategy Bennett presented to Biden involves countering Iran through a combination of many small actions across several fronts — both military and diplomatic — instead of a single dramatic strike, the Israeli officials said.
- Bennett compared the standoff between Israel and Iran today to the one between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. "The Prime Minister said Israel is the region’s America and Iran is the Soviet Union with its corrupt and decaying regime," the official said.
- Bennett told Biden the U.S. and Israel need to put Iran’s regional aggression “back in the box,” in addition to its nuclear program. To that end, he asked Biden not to pull U.S. forces out of Iraq and Syria. The Israeli delegation felt "optimistic" about Biden's attitude on that front.
- Bennett also told Biden that he opposes a return to the 2015 nuclear deal and that the effectiveness of the deal had faded of its looming sunset clauses and Iran's nuclear advances. Biden did not seem optimistic about the prospect of Iran returning to compliance with the deal, the officials said.
Between the lines: Bennett was very happy with two things Biden said in his statements to the press during their meeting.
- First, Biden expanded on his previous statements that Iran wouldn't get a nuclear weapon on his watch and said he was committed to Iran never obtaining a nuclear weapon.
- Second, Biden said that if diplomacy with Iran fails he is ready to explore other options — echoing Bennett's calls for a "Plan B."
What he's saying: Bennett told the Israeli traveling press that his meeting with Biden was “excellent” and that he felt like they had known each other for a long time.
- “I found a leader who loves Israel, knows exactly what he wants and is attuned to our needs," Bennett said.
- Bennett expressed optimism on the prospect of cooperation on Iran, adding, "We don’t have much time. The Iranian issue is urgent and can’t be postponed."
What’s next: Bennett invited Biden to visit Israel once COVID-19 is under control. Teams from both sides will continue the discussions on Iran and other issues in the coming weeks.