Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invited President Joe Biden to visit Israel soon, and both countries are discussing the possibility, a source familiar with the matter told CNN. The White House said Sunday it didn’t have any new travel plans by the president to announce. If it did materialize, a trip would amount to a dramatic show of support by Biden for Israel as the country responds to last weekend’s devastating attacks by Hamas. A Biden visit would also amount to a message to other players in the region, including the Iran-backed Hezbollah, that they should not escalate the conflict further. Biden spoke Saturday with both Netanyahu and the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas .

Source: CNN October 16, 2023 01:45 UTC