Biden Will Travel to Israel, Second Visit to an Active War Zone

For the second time in his presidency, President Biden will visit an active war zone when he travels to Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday, October 18th.

The trip had been the subject of discussion between Israel and the United States after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu extended an invitation to Biden during a phone call this past Saturday.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Binken says Biden’s visit will “reaffirm U.S. solidarity to Israel and commitment to its security” and “underscore our clear message” that no one should “try to take advantage of this crisis to attack Israel.”

Binken also said the U.S. will be better able to assess Israel’s needs to prosecute its war against the terrorist organization Hamas after Biden receives a comprehensive brief from the Israeli government about its goals and strategy.

The President will also meet King Abdullah in Jordan, as well as Mahmoud Abbas and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the presidents of Palestine and Egypt respectively.

Biden first visited an active war zone in February when he traveled to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, over the objections of both the Pentagon and Secret Service.

Though both the United States and Israel will make Biden’s safety a top priority, it is unknown if Hamas will respond as Vladimir Putin did during the President’s trip to Ukraine. Then, Putin was given advance notice of the President’s visit, deterring any attack on Kyiv by Russia.

Meanwhile, any Congressional response is effectively paralyzed thanks to the ongoing chaos from the Republican Party in the House of Representatives.