ISRAEL: Biden/Herzog Bilat Underway Shortly Amid Increased Electoral Risk

US President Joe Biden is shortly due to host a bilateral meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

• The bilat comes ahead of the Israeli legislative elections next week where former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently a slight favourite to form a government - betting exchange Smarkets gives Netanyahu an 61.3% implied probability of becoming Prime Minister.
• Today, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed warned Netanyahu against including far-right lawmakers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich in his government, should he win.
• Any tension in the UAE-Israeli relationship to impede progress made by the US and Israel to normalise relations between Israel and its Arab neighbours within the framework of the Abraham Accords and Negev Summit.
• Earlier this month, during a trip to Israel, US Foreign Relations Committee Chair Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) warned Netanyahu that forming a government with right-wing extremists could harm US-Israel bilateral relations.
• The US will have to tread carefully to avoid disrupting relations with Israel and the UAE in light of the recent deterioration in relations with both Iran and Saudi Arabia.