Netanyahu heads to Washington

YEREVAN, JULY 22, ARMENPRESS. Israel will be the United States' strongest ally in the Middle East regardless of who is elected president in November, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday before flying to Washington, where he is due to address the U.S. Congress, Reuters reports.

The visit is Netanyahu's first to his most important international ally since returning for a record sixth term as prime minister at the end of 2022. 

Netanyahu said he would thank Biden for all he has done for Israel throughout his career and discuss with him issues such as securing the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, defeating the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, and confronting Iran and its proxies in the region, Reuters adds.

A meeting with Biden is tentatively planned for Tuesday if the 81-year-old president has recovered from Covid-19. Netanyahu is scheduled to address Congress on Wednesday.

"I will tell my friends on both sides of the aisle that regardless who the American people choose as their next president, Israel remains America's indispensable and strong ally in the Middle East," he told reporters before taking off.

The invitation for Netanyahu to address a joint meeting of Congress - a rare honour generally reserved for the closest U.S. allies - was orchestrated by the House of Representatives' Republican leadership, which has accused Biden of not showing sufficient support for Israel, according to the report.

Israel launched a campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Almost 39,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s health ministry.