Israeli leaders thank Biden for 'steadfast support' after he quits presidential race

Tel Aviv, July 22:  Israeli political leaders have expressed gratitude to US President Joe Biden for his backing of Israel throughout his long career after the Democratic incumbent announced he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential election, media reports said.

Biden, who made his first overseas trip as a young Senator to Israel, ended his bid for re-election on Sunday following a disastrous debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about his fitness for office just four months before the presidential election, The Times of Israel reported.

Israel's Opposition Leader Yair Lapid on Sunday shared an undated photo on X of him shaking hands with Biden, writing, "Thank you."

President Isaac Herzog extended his thanks for Biden's "friendship and steadfast support for the Israeli people over his decades-long career".

"As the first US President to visit Israel in wartime, as a recipient of the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor, and as a true ally of the Jewish people, he is a symbol of the unbreakable bond between our two peoples," Herzog posted on Sunday on social media platform X, noting the US President Biden's visit to Israel in the aftermath of the October 7 massacres, The Times of Israel reported.

Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday thanked Biden for his "unwavering support of Israel over the years".

"Your steadfast backing, especially during the war, has been invaluable," he added.

"We are grateful for your leadership and friendship."

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called Biden "a true friend of Israel who stood by us in our most difficult moments".

"During my tenure as Prime Minister, I witnessed his unwavering support of the State of Israel. Thank you for everything," he wrote on X on Sunday.

There was no immediate response from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is still scheduled to meet on Tuesday with Biden in Washington, according to a source in the Prime Minister's Office.

Biden has held close ties with Israel throughout his political career. As a 30-year-old fresh Senator, he visited Israel in 1973, where he met then-Prime Minister Golda Meir, The Times of Israel reported.

The US leader has noted his encounter with Israel's only female premier several times, and once called it "one of the most consequential meetings I've ever had in my life".

After Hamas-led terrorists went on a rampage across the border on October 7, murdering some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages to Gaza, Biden spoke in detail of the brutal atrocities carried out during the massacre and provided Israel with a boost in weapons shipments to effectively carry out its war against Hamas.

He also warned neighbouring countries seeking to enter the fray during those initial days of the war: "Don't." And he demonstrated his support by sending two aircraft carrier strike groups to the eastern Mediterranean Sea to deter an all-out war with Iran, Hezbollah, and other groups.

But US-Israel tensions have simmered in recent months over the civilian toll in Gaza and the pace of delivery of humanitarian aid there, as well as the lack of a tangible plan by Netanyahu for Gaza's post-war governance. Concerned with Israel's offensive in Rafah, Biden withheld certain arms from the country, leading Netanyahu to publicly feud with the administration.

One member of Netanyahu's government even explicitly endorsed Biden's rival, former US President Donald Trump, in the upcoming election.

Despite the tensions, Biden recently reaffirmed his support for Israel and his identification as a Zionist.