Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday leading up to a meeting with President Joe Biden on Thursday.
On his first foreign trip as prime minister, Mr Bennett is looking to reset Israel’s ties with the US, after an era dominated by former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former president Donald Trump, though the new Israeli government has carried over some policies of its predecessor.
Mr Bennett said to Mr Blinken on Wednesday that he wanted to discuss with the US president “how do we fend off and curtail Iran's … race to a nuclear weapon".
At the Pentagon, Mr Austin and Mr Bennett discussed Iran, Covid-19 and relations with the Palestinians.
“The administration remains committed to Israel's security and right to self-defence,” Mr Austin said. “That is unwavering, it is steadfast and it is ironclad.”
The US defence secretary also touched upon the attack on the Mercer Street vessel during the meeting.
On Thursday, Mr Biden plans to emphasise his strong support for Israel, US officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The meeting may reveal divergent approaches on Iran: the US favours a diplomatic pact to halt Tehran’s nuclear programme and Israel has said it may use secret attacks to disable Iranian facilities.
Mr Biden will restate his commitment to the region and argue that his withdrawal from Afghanistan frees up resources to support other efforts, including support of Israel, the officials said.
“We expect their conversation to be wide-ranging,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, highlighting subjects such as security within Israel, Iran and the pandemic.
With Iran’s nuclear programme accelerating weekly, US officials said the administration is committed to finding a diplomatic resolution after inheriting Mr Trump’s so-called maximum pressure campaign. The Biden administration’s view is that Mr Trump’s approach undercut efforts to slow nuclear development, the officials said.
Mr Bennett is expected to adopt a more conciliatory tone than his predecessor, while pressing the same foreign policy line of firm opposition to Tehran.
“We will deal with many fronts, especially the Iranian front, and especially the jump in the Iranian nuclear programme over the past two or three years. In particular, we will discuss the plan to block this programme,” Mr Bennett said, before his departure to the US.
The leaders will also discuss the Covid-19 pandemic, the officials said, as well as climate change and economic matters.
US health officials have relied heavily on Israeli data in developing a plan for booster shots, though some experts say the data are not clear on whether they are needed for all age groups.
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PRESIDENTS CUP
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02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
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03.32am (Thursday): Abraham Ancer/Louis Oosthuizen v Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland
Oscars in the UAE
The 90th Academy Awards will be aired in the UAE from 3.30am on Monday, March 5 on OSN, with the ceremony starting at 5am
Tenet
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh
Rating: 5/5
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Empty Words
By Mario Levrero
(Coffee House Press)
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
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Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
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How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
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