“Jerusalem Declaration” Signed; Biden and Lapid Agree on Preventing Iran from Obtaining Nuclear Weapons

Joe Biden, President of the United States, and Yair Lapid, Prime Minister of Israel’s transitional government, signed the “Jerusalem Declaration” on Thursday, July 23, in a joint press conference before media reporters.

However, the joint press conference held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Jerusalem revealed that they disagreed on the strategy for confronting Iran.

The “Jerusalem Declaration,” spanning four pages, emphasizes the commitment of the two countries’ leaders to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, stating that Iran will “never” acquire nuclear weapons.

This statement, which other American and Israeli officials have called “historic,” emphasizes the “special relationship” between the two countries and the expansion of Washington’s commitment to ensuring Israel’s security.

Yair Lapid, after signing this declaration, said: “Iran’s enmity threatens Israel, which is the sole Jewish state.”

He added: “Diplomacy and words alone will not stop Iran, and the continuation of Iranian deception will come at a heavy price.”

According to Lapid, life for Israelis in this country is not a normal matter and is accompanied by daily prayer and struggle for survival. He recalled that his father was rescued from the Warsaw Ghetto, and while enemies of the Jewish people sought to destroy Jews at that time, now the Jewish state of Israel faces threats to its survival from Iran, Hezbollah, and other allies of this axis.

Joe Biden, however, said that “diplomacy is still the best solution” and that America will continue cooperation with Israel against “threats emanating from Iran.”

The U.S. President stressed that his country has a deep commitment to preserving Israel’s security and will also ensure that Israel can defend itself.

Biden also stated that his administration is working to expand the Abraham Accords and increasingly integrate Israel into the region. Donald Trump, former U.S. President, and Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli Prime Minister, were the architects of these agreements.

The issue of Iran was also at the top of the agenda during Joe Biden and Yair Lapid’s working discussions on Thursday.

At the end of that meeting, Israel’s Prime Minister also told reporters that we are working to form a coalition of moderate forces in the region against Iran.

Yair Lapid added: The issue of relations with Saudi Arabia and its regional position was also raised in the discussions, and Israel attaches great importance to it.

Joe Biden and Yair Lapid also participated on Thursday, following their working discussions, in a joint video conference with Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, and Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler of the United Arab Emirates.

This one-hour session was held under the name “I2U2 Forum” (derived from the first letters of India, Israel, United States, and United Arab Emirates).

Lapid said that the idea of this four-party forum was proposed several months ago during his trip to Washington, and immediately the work to launch this alliance began in practice.

He described the focus of this forum as commercial affairs and advancing cooperation in emerging technologies that is already underway, so that the lives of people in these four countries—”innovative in science and technology”—flourish even more.

Joe Biden, in this virtual forum, said that the needs of the twenty-first century, following the coronavirus pandemic and given developments such as Russia’s war in Ukraine, require allied countries to pursue new cooperation for their people. Biden emphasized the importance of food security for people and India’s prominent role in this matter.

Narendra Modi also said this is a meeting of “strategic allies” and forum members have mapped a roadmap in seven areas: water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security.

After the speeches of the leaders of the four countries, which were accompanied by media coverage, they continued their virtual discussions privately.

On July 23, Joe Biden has separate meetings with Isaac Herzog, President of Israel, and Benjamin Netanyahu, opposition leader who is keen to return to power, in Jerusalem.

He will conclude the second day of his stay in Israel by attending the opening ceremony of the “Maccabiah,” the World Jewish Games, at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem.

Joe Biden, who is traveling to the Middle East for the first time in 18 months of his presidency, is scheduled to speak with Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, in Ramallah on Friday, July 24, and then visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and a Palestinian hospital in East Jerusalem.

Senior Palestinian leaders and the Palestinian public have deeply expressed dissatisfaction that issues related to their fate and situation have been sidelined in Biden’s visit to the region.

On Wednesday, Mahmoud Abbas, in a telephone conversation with King Salman, Saudi Arabia’s monarch, called on Saudi Arabia not to join other Arab countries that have normalized relations with Israel. Mahmoud Abbas had previously said that the UAE and Bahrain “stabbed Palestinians in the back.”

On the evening of July 24, Biden will begin his trip to Saudi Arabia with the first direct public flight from Tel Aviv to Jeddah. Biden himself described this flight on this air route as highly significant and the beginning of other developments.

One day before Biden’s arrival in Saudi Arabia, the Financial Times reported that Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, told the newspaper that “Jews have the right to have a country of their own.”

However, according to the Financial Times, despite closer Saudi-Israeli ties, Saudi Arabia is still not prepared to sign a formal agreement with Israel.

Source: Radio Farda