After a bitter disagreement over the Iran nuclear deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama will meet for talks in Washington on Nov. 9, the White House announced Wednesday.
The pair haven’t met in person since final negotiations began on the agreement, which will loosen economic sanctions on Tehran in exchange for inspections of its nuclear sites, and the slowing of its nuclear program.
Netanyahu fiercely objected to the nuclear deal, claiming it could amount to the destruction of his country by a regime consistently antagonistic toward Israel. Obama countered by saying a nuclear-free Iran was in the best interests of Israelis and the rest of the world.
When the Israeli prime minister came to the United States in March to lobby against the deal, he was pointedly denied an invitation to meet with Obama at the White House. The administration said at the time it was a breach of protocol for a foreign head of state to plan a trip to the U.S. without first consulting the White House, and said it was standard practice not to meet with foreign leaders if they face impending elections. Netanyahu instead addressed a joint meeting of Congress.
In a statement Wednesday, the White House said Obama “looks forward to discussing with the Prime Minister regional security issues, including implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to peacefully and verifiably prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, and countering Tehran’s destabilizing activities.”
The statement also said the pair would discuss regional security issues, including the situation in Gaza and the West Bank, and “the need for the genuine advancement of a two-state solution.”
In the lead-up to the Israeli general election in March, Netanyahu suggested he wouldn’t support a Palestinian State, a remark that prompted the White House to claim it was “reassessing” aspects of its relationship with Israel.