Posted on 06/24/2022 7:57:20 AM PDT by SJackson
US officials have requested that Israel limit the list of guests and the duration of the reception ceremony at Ben Gurion Airport for US President Joe Biden upon his expected arrival next month, according to a report Wednesday.
According to Channel 13 news, the request may have been submitted due to Biden’s age (he is 79) or due to weather conditions, with high temperatures and humidity expected during Israel’s summer months.
While the unnamed US officials did not specify the reason for the request, Channel 13 also raised the possibility of it having something to do with Israel’s shaky political situation, after outgoing Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Monday that the Knesset would be dispersed next week, sending the country to its fifth elections since 2019. The report didn’t elaborate on how that could have affected the reception ceremony.
Another potential reason for the unusual request could be an attempt to avoid a repetition of an incident that took place in May 2017, when then-MK Oren Hazan pushed his way through the line of dignitaries at the airport to snatch a selfie with then-US president Donald Trump.
Hazan, who was a firebrand member of then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, was not supposed to be standing in the line of people shaking Trump’s hand, but somehow managed to make his way into the line.
He later posted the picture on his Facebook page with the caption, “Thank you Mr. President — it was my pleasure!”
The incident drew condemnation from other Israeli officials, deeming the fiasco “a real embarrassment.”
The Foreign Ministry is examining the American request and considering shortening the invite list to the ceremony, Channel 13 reported.
Other options that were being considered were shortening the time allocated to speeches and canceling the hand-shaking ceremony altogether.
The Prime Minister’s Office said the invite list has not been compiled yet, according to the report.
Meanwhile, a senior American official hinted Wednesday ahead of Biden’s upcoming trip that more Arab nations were looking to make gestures to improve relations with Israel.
“We are working, in the space that is not in the public domain, with a couple of other countries. And I think you’ll see some interesting things around the time of the president’s visit,” US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf told a congressional subcommittee.
Biden will travel from July 13 to 16 to Israel, to the West Bank, and to a regional meeting in Saudi Arabia, a country Trump assiduously courted while he was in office, in hopes the kingdom home to Islam’s holiest sites would recognize the Jewish state.
Other options that were being considered were shortening the time allocated to speeches and canceling the hand-shaking ceremony altogether.
Joe certainly doesn't want pictures of him shaking hands with Israelis. And his staff doesn't want him speaking.
Here we go ...
Staff didn’t have enough paper for Biden’s “cheat sheet”
I think the Biden puppeteers are afraid of the plagues that might befall them in the Holy Land.
Man, Biden’s health is rapidly deteriorating.
BiteMe must have had another step change in his dementia.
I don’t think he’s gonna make his USE BY date...
Can’t they replace him with that self-conscious AI robot? It’d be an improvement. Asimov said so, so it must be so.
Let’s give credit to fake Doc Jill who is the minder. For the brain damaged Joe Biden. She pushed this numb skull into running in 2020.
Joe doesn’t know what day of the week it is.
Biden is a coward. A cheap, corrupt, feckless, depraved coward, who does nothing but blame others for his own incompetence.
I’m betting that Biden will not make the trip. The White House will say that it’s because of a Covid outbreak, or some such thing. But everybody will know the real reason.
BiteMe is demented.
Don’t blame BiteMe.
Blame the people who installed him.
Simple Joe will be complaining that there is no bacon with his eggs
The real reason is that BiDung can’t keep from Crapping His Pants long enough to make it through a typical Diplomatic Reception. My guess is that He’d STINK UP THE PLACE with 30 minutes after arrival.
They don’t want to be cast in the shadow of President Trump because NO ONE will shove their way forward to get a selfie with resident Joe.
He can’t control his bowels for very long.
It’s because Joe gets fidgety
What a bunch of crap, literally. I mean they needed to shorten the ceremony so Joe wouldn’t crap his diaper in public.
This event won't take place until next month, but Biden's staff is already calling a "lid" for the day.
Fear of sphincter failure after decompression and walk down steps?
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