US NSA To Visit As White House Treads Fine Line Over New Gov't

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has confirmed that he will be visiting Israel in the near future for talks with officials from the gov't of PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Speaking in Washington, D.C., Sullivan states that the US 'will have the opportunity to engage with Israel on Iran'.

• Adds that the two countries 'Share the same fundamental objectives on Iran', and that they will, 'Work through differences on tactics'. Netanyahu has stated that in the event of a shift back towards the Iran nuclear deal among Western powers, that he would seek to counter this in the court of public opinion.
• The visit comes as the Biden administration treads a fine line with regards to the new right-wing gov't in power. The more controversial actions of the new gov't, including Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's visit to the Al Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, his order to police to ban the flying of Palestinian flags in public areas, and proposed judicial reforms that could weaken the supreme court, have likely raised concerns in the White House regarding the potential impact on stability within Israel and the wider Levant region.
• However, the US continues to stress its support for Israel and desire for positive relations, and has not explicitly criticised the actions of the Netanyahu gov't.