Parting shot
The outgoing Biden Administration’s authorisation for Ukraine to carry out long-range missile strikes against Russian targets using US weaponry signals a significant escalation in the on-going conflict.
US President Joe Biden spoke by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday and accepted an invitation to visit Israel, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said on Tuesday.
“Prime Minister Bennett extended an invitation for [Biden] to visit Israel, which he accepted and will do. We don’t have a date yet to announce,” Psaki said during a press conference.
The announcement comes amid US-Israeli engagement on issues including negotiations with Iran on its nuclear program and a return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as well as increased tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.
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Last week, the Israeli police said that hundreds of Palestinians, some wearing masks and flying the Hamas flag, engaged in mass riots on Temple Mount.
According to Israeli law enforcement officers, the demonstrators were throwing stones, setting off fireworks, and building barricades, thus creating a threat to Israelis praying at the Western Wall.
The Israeli police said they waited for the end of the morning prayer for worshipers to leave and then used special equipment to disperse the crowd and restore order.
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