Bennett Claims He Said 'No Three Times’ to President Biden During Their August Meeting

© REUTERS / JONATHAN ERNSTU.S. President Joe Biden and Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett chat during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. August 27, 2021.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett chat during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. August 27, 2021. - Sputnik International, 1920, 28.09.2021
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After taking office in June, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett visited the United States last month on his first foreign trip to meet President Joe Biden.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told settler leaders on Monday that he disagreed with the US Biden “three” times on key issues for Israel while holding talks with him back in August, according to Zman Yisrael.
The three topics were related to Israel building new settlements in the West Bank, reopening the US consulate in Jerusalem and a possible revival of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
"Once on the Iranian issue - but I can’t tell you exactly about what - they requested something and I said 'no.' The second time was about the Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem, it won't happen. And the third time was about settlements," he said to the newspaper.
Tel Aviv has been against the revival of the JCPOA, voicing concerns that Tehran has allegedly been developing nuclear weapons (which Iran has repeatedly denied), though Israel is thought to have obtained nukes long ago.
In May, the Biden administration announced plans to reopen the US consulate in Jerusalem to provide support for Palestinians living in the area. Tel Aviv stated that it was a "bad idea" and could potentially "destabilize" Bennett's new government, Reuters reported.
Apart from that, Biden has repeatedly insisted on a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, stressing that it’s the only way to achieve peace in the region.
Bennett, meanwhile, also assured settler leaders that construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem would not slow down despite pressure from Washington.

"We know what the Democrats are saying, the settlements are illegal and all that. They told me to build less. Guys, you know where I’m coming from. I'm committed to you, as it was, so shall it remain," sources quoted Bennett as saying.

Bennett met with Biden on 26 August to discuss the Iranian nuclear program and other issues. The meeting has become known for a viral video showing Biden appearing to nod off while the Israeli politician talked about a “new chapter” in bilateral relations.
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