It’s Friday.
When Biden Bits was posted for Thursday, President Biden had tweeted 1 time. He added 6 tweets giving him a Thursday Tweeting Total of 7 tweets and 0 retweets.
The White House posted the opening remarks from the first leaders meeting of the I2U2 group. The YouTube is 20 minutes and 41 seconds long. President Biden’s remarks begin at the 13 minutes and 24 second mark. They conclude at the 17 minute and 40 second mark. Their full remarks can be found here.
The White House posted the following readout:
President Biden met with President Isaac Herzog of Israel today ahead of the Israeli Medal of Honor ceremony this evening. The leaders discussed several issues including the United States’ ironclad support for Israel’s security, their commitment to working together to counter Iran’s destabilizing activities, and efforts to promote regional integration to widen the circle of peace. President Biden and President Herzog reaffirmed the deep bonds and enduring friendship between our two nations and our people.
White House.gov. 07/14/2022.
The YouTube is 13 minutes and 21 seconds long. President Biden begins his remarks at the 6 minute and 25 second mark. His full remarks can be found here. The link also includes some of Israeli President Herzog’s remarks.
Other posts regarding his 2nd day in Israel:
Remarks by President Biden and Prime Minister Lapid of the State of Israel After Bilateral Meeting.
Remarks by President Biden and Prime Minister Yair Lapid of the State of Israel. The White House uploaded a video of Wednesday mornings joint-presser.
I obviously had to “Google” Maccabiah, cause I had no idea what it was. Maccabiah.org explains that; The Maccabiah is the world’s largest Jewish athletic competition in the tradition and values of Maccabi, emphasizing the centrality of the State of Israel in the life of the Jewish people. The Maccabiah takes place every four (4) years in Israel – “the Jewish Olympics” as they are often called, are Maccabi World Union’s largest and most famous enterprise.
I went back to “Google” and found Maccabi USA.com. From there I headed to Twitter and found the #Maccabiah hashtag…
He had two non-Israel visit tweets…
On June 24th, 2022, the Supreme Court released an order that overturned Roe v Wade (1993) and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey (1992). On that same day President Biden offered remarks.
President Biden: (6:28) So if a woman lives in a state that restricts abortion, the Supreme Court’s decision does not prevent her from traveling from her home state to the state that allows it. It does not prevent a doctor in that state — in that state from treating her. As the Attorney General has made clear, women must remain free to travel safely to another state to seek the care they need. And my administration will defend that bedrock right. If any state or local official, high or low, tries to interfere with a woman’s ex- — exercising her basic right to travel, I will do everything in my power to fight that deeply un-American attack.
Asshole Senator James Lankford from Oklahoma blocked the bill he likened to promoting “Abortion Tourism”. I could only find his own YouTube, so I’m gonna link it here. He says his reasoning, and nope, I did not in fact listen to the whole 7 minutes of him trying to sound like he has the sadz, but the gist is, he thinks that this is all to fan the flames and shit. Saying in part that “no state” has banned travel. Yeah, never mind the state Senators, telling us, everyday, that’s on the table.
Anyhoo, I’m wrapping up there, cause otherwise, I’ll say some really mean things…
S.2938 the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was signed into law on June 25th, 2022. On July 11th, 2022, the President and others gathered on the South Lawn to celebrate the passage of the bill.
President Biden: (18:00) Because make no mistake about it: This legislation is real progress, but more has to be done. The provision of this new legislation is going to save lives. And it’s proof that in today’s politics we can come together on a bipartisan basi- — basis to get important things done, even on an issue as tough as guns.
President Biden is still overseas. His public schedule for Friday, July 15th, 2022:
| 1:45 AM | Out-of-Town Pool Call Time (8:45 AM Local) King David Hotel, JerusalemOut-of-Town Pool |
| 3:30 AM | The President delivers remarks regarding the East Jerusalem Hospital Network (10:30 AM Local) Augusta Victoria Hospital, East Jerusalem, IsraelOut-of-Town Pool |
| 4:30 AM | The President arrives at the West Bank and participates in an arrival ceremony (11:30 AM Local) Muqata’a Presidential Compound, Bethlehem, West BankOut-of-Town Pool |
| 4:45 AM | The President meets with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority (11:45 AM Local) Muqata’a Presidential Compound, Bethlehem, West BankOut-of-Town Pool Spray |
| 5:50 AM | The President and President Mahmoud Abbas deliver joint statements (12:50 PM Local) Muqata’a Presidential Compound, Bethlehem, West BankOut-of-Town Pool |
| 6:20 AM | The President arrives at the Church of the Nativity (1:20 PM Local) Church of Nativity, BethlehemOut-of-Town Pool |
| 6:30 AM | The President visits the Church of the Nativity (1:30 PM Local) Church of Nativity, BethlehemClosed Press |
| 8:25 AM | The President departs Tel Aviv, Israel en route Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 3:25 PM Local) Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv, IsraelOut-of-Town Pool |
| 10:30 AM | The President arrives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (5:30 PM Local) King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaOpen to Pre-Credentialed Media |
| 11:15 AM | The President participates in a bilateral meeting with King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud (6:15 PM Local) Alsalam Royal Palace, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |
| 11:45 AM | The President and his team participate in a working session with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Saudi Ministers (6:45 PM Local) Alsalam Royal Palace, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaOut-of-Town Pool Spray |
The White House has upload two YouTube’s so far for Friday.
The video is 16 minutes and 42 seconds long. His full remarks can be found here.
The YouTube is 16 minutes and 46 seconds long. Their full remarks can be found here.
The White House posted:
Statement by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan:
President Biden welcomes and commends the historic decision by the leadership of Saudi Arabia to open Saudi airspace to all civilian carriers without discrimination, a decision that includes flights to and from Israel. This decision is the result of the President’s persistent and principled diplomacy with Saudi Arabia over many months, culminating in his visit today. This decision paves the way for a more integrated, stable, and secure Middle East region, which is vital for the security and prosperity of the United States and the American people, and for the security and prosperity of Israel. The President will have more to say on this breakthrough later today, as we embark on his historic flight directly from Israel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
White House.gov. 07/14/2022.
Fact-sheet; The United States-Palestinian Relationship
Tomorrow, President Biden will announce a number of initiatives to support the Palestinian people by:
- Improving access to health care and technology;
- Rolling out long overdue 4G digital connectivity to both Gaza and the West Bank;
- Bolstering economic growth;
- Providing critical services for Palestinian refugees;
- Reducing food insecurity;
- Fostering people-to-people dialogue to support peace.
President Biden will also announce new contributions totaling $316 million to support the Palestinian people. This is on top of the more than half a billion dollars the United States has provided to the Palestinian people since the Biden Administration restored much needed funding to the Palestinians.
White House.gov. 07/14/2022.
Improve Healthcare Access for Palestinians
- During his visit to the Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem, the President will announce the United States intends to provide a new multi-year U.S. contribution of up to $100 million for the East Jerusalem Hospital Network (EJHN), subject to congressional approval. The EJHN is a grouping of six hospitals in East Jerusalem providing specialized services including oncology, dialysis, neo-natal intensive care, and specialized maternity, ophthalmology, and emergency services to 50,000 patients from East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza annually. The funding is provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and paired with health system and hospital reforms.
Bolstering the Digital Economy to Improve Palestinian Economic Growth
- To boost Palestinian businesses and improve connectivity for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, Israel has committed to speeding up the long overdue transformation of 3G to 4G in the West Bank and afterwards 2G to 4G in Gaza. Israeli and Palestinian teams will work together immediately to start the technological surveys, with an aim to roll out an advanced infrastructure for 4G by the end of 2023. This commitment will accelerate digital transformation and foster a more well-connected Palestinian economy. It will also generate jobs, increase productivity, and increase online operations in the health and education sectors.
Improve the Travel Experience from the West Bank to Jordan
- President Biden supports creating a more autonomous, efficient, and reliable Palestinian experience of traveling abroad. He will announce that Israel is prepared to take measures to increase efficiency and accessibility to the Allenby Bridge for the benefit of Palestinians. In order to upgrade facilities, Israel has agreed to enable access 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, by September 30, 2022. A working group will assess several measures including the use of biometric passports and will complete its assessments within the next month and discuss conclusions with U.S. partners. In addition, the working group will consider steps to establish Palestinian Authority presence on Allenby Bridge while maintaining Israel’s security considerations.
Support Critical Services for Palestinian Refugees
- The United States believes that Palestinian refugees deserve to live in dignity, to see their basic needs addressed, and to have hope for the future. President Biden will announce an additional $201 million for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to continue delivering critical services to Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. UNRWA’s comprehensive services remain a lifeline to millions of vulnerable Palestinians – consistent with its mandate to provide assistance and protection to Palestinian refugees pending a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These services directly contribute to maintaining regional stability, which is beneficial to the interests of the United States, our allies, and our partners. This contribution cements the United States’ status as UNRWA’s largest donor. These new funds bring the total United States assistance to UNRWA during the Biden Administration to more than $618 million. The United States is committed to supporting UNRWA to provide the most effective and efficient assistance possible and to continue to improve its operations and delivery. UNRWA’s work must be done while fully respecting the UN principles of neutrality, tolerance, human rights, equity, and non-discrimination.
Re-Launching Israeli-Palestinian Economic Discussions and Promoting Steps to Improve Lives
- President Biden will share with President Abbas that Israel intends to convene the Joint Economic Committee with the Palestinians. Restarting discussions through the Joint Economic Committee has been a longstanding request of the Palestinian Authority. The committee last met in 2009 and is the mandated entity under the Oslo Accords for the Israeli government and Palestinian Authority to meet to discuss joint economic issues, including wastewater, clean energy, and other measures that impact Palestinian lives in the West Bank. President Biden also announced that Israel agreed to increase the number of permits for Palestinians in Gaza to work and do business in Israel to 15,500. The Biden Administration strongly supports increased access and movement for Palestinians, and this is a positive step toward that goal. Additionally, Israel agreed to approve the registration of 5,500 previously unregistered Palestinians on the Palestinian Population Register.
Ensure Food Security for Palestinians
- In response to rising food insecurity for Palestinians in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, President Biden will announce that the United States is providing $15 million in additional humanitarian assistance for vulnerable Palestinians. Via funding to the UN World Food Program and two non-governmental organizations, the United States is providing electronic food vouchers, multipurpose cash assistance, and emergency livelihoods support, helping more than 210,000 food-insecure people meet their household food needs in coming months. This funding is part of the pledge of additional U.S. government resources that President Biden made at the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Germany in late June to protect the world’s most vulnerable populations from the escalating global food security crisis.
Fostering People-to-People Ties
- To build grassroots support for peace through an eventual negotiated two-state solution, President Biden will announce two new grants under the Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act (MEPPA). MEPPA authorizes up to $250 million dollars over five years to implement projects led by both Israelis and Palestinians establishing the environment necessary to achieve long term peace. The first new grant, for $2.21 million to the Peres Center for Peace, will support collaboration and professional exchanges between the Palestinian and Israeli health sectors as they work to build mutual trust, confidence, and understanding between the two societies. The second new grant, for $5 million to AppleSeeds, will provide young Palestinian and Israeli professionals the opportunity to work together and learn critical technology and leadership. For more information on these and other activities under MEPPA please visit https://www.usaid.gov/west-bank-and-gaza/meppa.
Statement by President Biden:
Saudi Arabia’s historic decision to open its airspace for all civilian planes, including those flying to and from Israel, is an important step towards building a more integrated and stable Middle East region. While this opening has long been discussed, now, thanks to months of steady diplomacy between my Administration and Saudi Arabia, it is finally a reality. Today, I will be the first president of the United States to fly from Israel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. As we mark this important moment, Saudi Arabia’s decision can help build momentum toward Israel’s further integration into the region, including with Saudi Arabia. I will do all that I can, through direct diplomacy and leader-to-leader engagement, to keep advancing this groundbreaking process.
White House.gov. 07/15/2022.
Readout; of President Biden’s Meeting with President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority
Today, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. President Biden reaffirmed the enduring ties between the Palestinian and American peoples and underscored his commitment to a two-state solution on the 1967 lines with land swaps mutually agreed by the Israelis and Palestinians. He also highlighted the importance of direct negotiations leading to an independent, sovereign, viable, and contiguous Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel, both enjoying secure and recognized borders, allowing the two peoples to live side-by-side in peace and security.
In the meeting, President Biden highlighted a number of initiatives the United States is undertaking to support the Palestinian people. President Biden also discussed encouraging regional governments and the international community to assist the Palestinian people.
The leaders reaffirmed that both Palestinians and Israelis deserve to enjoy equal measures of freedom, security, prosperity, and democracy. President Biden emphasized his belief that the Palestinian people deserve to live lives of dignity and opportunity; to move and travel freely; to feel secure in their communities; and to give hope to their children that they will one day enjoy the same freedom and self-determination of their neighbors.
President Biden reiterated the importance of fostering a political horizon, and noted the United States stands ready to work with Israelis, Palestinians, and regional stakeholders toward that goal. As he had relayed to Israeli leaders, President Biden conveyed to President Abbas that in order to create the conditions for negotiations, it was important for both parties to avoid unilateral measures.
President Biden reiterated the U.S. position that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, and that it continues to be the policy of the United States that the specific boundaries of sovereignty in Jerusalem must be resolved through final status negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. He further reaffirmed the need to preserve the historic status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem, recognizing the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan’s crucial role as custodian.
White House.gov. 07/15/2022.
We can all be thankful, President Biden has not tweeted so far for Friday…
This is an Open Thread.
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