Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s scheduled meeting on Thursday with US President Joe Biden has been rescheduled for Friday, according to a report by Israel’s Channel N12 News correspondent Dana Weiss.
The two men were originally scheduled to meet Thursday, but White House officials told reporters that the meeting was “postponed indefinitely” in the wake of a double terrorist attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport and the nearby Baron Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan that killed 12 US service members and wounded 15 more.
Update: US and Civilian Casualties in Multi-Site Terror Attack in Kabul
Bennett said in a statement Thursday night, “On behalf of the people of Israel, I share our deep sadness over the loss of American lives in Kabul.
“Israel stands with the United States in these difficult times, just as America has always stood with us. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of the United States.”
The meeting between the American president and the Israeli prime minister, now rescheduled for Friday, was to enable the two to “get to know each other.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel also spoke with Bennett by phone on Thursday after the attack to notify him that she has to cancel next week’s visit to Israel.
Merkel told Bennett she will be unable to visit Jerusalem next week due to the current emergency situation in Afghanistan.
The twin suicide bombing attacks in Kabul underlined the need to complete a final withdrawal of Germany military forces from Afghanistan by the August 31 deadline, she said.
Bennett did, however succeed in meeting earlier in the day with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon.
Israel National Security Council head Dr. Eyal Hulata, the Prime Minister’s Military Secretary, Maj.-Gen. Avi Gil, Israeli Ambassador to the US and the UN Gilad Erdan, Cabinet Secretary Shalom Shlomo, the head of the Prime Minister’s staff, Tal Gan-Tzvi, and diplomatic adviser Shimrit Meir also participated in the meeting.
Austin and Bennett discussed regional, diplomatic and security issues, particularly in relation to the threat from Iran.
Although the prime minister reiterated the importance of the “unbreakable bond” between Israel and the United States, he also insisted that Israel will continue to do everything necessary to maintain security supremacy in the Middle East, insisting on the Jewish State’s right to do so.
TPS contributed to this report.
