First awarded in 2012, Israel’s Presidential Medal of Honor has only been given to a handful of the world’s most notable statesmen, including former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, Germany’s ex-chancellor Angela Merkel, author Elie Wiesel and former US president Barack Obama, whom Biden served as vice president.
So why give it to Biden? Here’s the reasoning, from the Israeli presidency:
Since the start of President Biden’s rich career in public service in the 1970s, he has established himself as a person who loves Israel and is a true friend of the whole Jewish People.
For half a century, the President has stood by the State of Israel, has given his unconditional support to its right to exist, and has fought with determination to expand U.S. assistance to Israel.
In this, the President gives expression in word and deed to the importance of the alliance between Israel and the United States, to his commitment to deepen the cooperation between them, to his support for Israel’s security, and to his commitment to firmly confront antisemitism.
Biden and Israel’s caretaker prime minister Yair Lapid signed a joint declaration earlier today that mostly reaffirms US policy on the country, including its right to defend itself.
One American president that didn’t get the award was Donald Trump, even though he made major changes in Washington’s policies towards Israel, the Palestinians and the country’s relationship with the wider Middle East. Perhaps he would have been given the honor, had he won a second term.
Key events:
Republican Senator Ben Sasse has tested positive for Covid-19, his office announced.
“Yesterday, after returning from the Ukrainian border, Senator Sasse tested positive for COVID. He’s vaccinated and boosted, and is experiencing only mild symptoms. He’ll isolate for the recommended five days — during that time, he’ll be working remotely,” the Nebraska lawmaker’s communications director James Wegmann said in a statement.
Lauren Gambino
The Guardian’s Lauren Gambino reports on why Biden probably won’t be receiving any awards from the American public, at least not right now:
Another searing inflation report yesterday underscored the deep challenges facing Democrats ahead of this year’s critical midterm elections, with widespread pessimism about the state of the US economy and Joe Biden’s stewardship of it.
Inflation soared 9.1% in June compared with the previous year, a new 40-year high. The rising cost of gas, fuel and rent squeezes American households and puts pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates further.
The sobering numbers, released as Biden arrived in Israel for a high-stakes trip to the Middle East, were driven largely by energy prices, an issue that will be top of the agenda when he makes a controversial visit to oil-rich Saudi Arabia this week.
First awarded in 2012, Israel’s Presidential Medal of Honor has only been given to a handful of the world’s most notable statesmen, including former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, Germany’s ex-chancellor Angela Merkel, author Elie Wiesel and former US president Barack Obama, whom Biden served as vice president.
So why give it to Biden? Here’s the reasoning, from the Israeli presidency:
Since the start of President Biden’s rich career in public service in the 1970s, he has established himself as a person who loves Israel and is a true friend of the whole Jewish People.
For half a century, the President has stood by the State of Israel, has given his unconditional support to its right to exist, and has fought with determination to expand U.S. assistance to Israel.
In this, the President gives expression in word and deed to the importance of the alliance between Israel and the United States, to his commitment to deepen the cooperation between them, to his support for Israel’s security, and to his commitment to firmly confront antisemitism.
Biden and Israel’s caretaker prime minister Yair Lapid signed a joint declaration earlier today that mostly reaffirms US policy on the country, including its right to defend itself.
One American president that didn’t get the award was Donald Trump, even though he made major changes in Washington’s policies towards Israel, the Palestinians and the country’s relationship with the wider Middle East. Perhaps he would have been given the honor, had he won a second term.
Enjoy it while it lasts: Middle East trip offers Biden a respite from troubles at home
Good morning, US politics readers. Today is the second day of President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel, where the country’s political leaders have hailed him as a true friend of the American ally and plan to award him the country’s highest civilian honor. It must be nice, because the opinion of Biden back home is not as lofty. A poll released yesterday found that only a minority of Americans want him to run for a second term, a sign that his lengthy slump in public opinion polls could have dire consequences for his presidency.
Here’s what we can expect from today:
- Israel is seven hours ahead of Washington so most of Biden’s events will wrap up by the afternoon in the United States, but in the balance of the day, he is set to meet former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, attend a ceremony where he’ll receive Israel’s President’s Medal and watch the opening ceremony of the Maccabiah Games.
- Vice-President Kamala Harris is in Florida, where she will discuss reproductive rights with legislative leaders at 1:50 pm eastern time.
- The House judiciary committee holds a hearing titled “Whats Next: The Threat to Individual Freedoms in a Post-Roe World” beginning at 9am ET.
- The Senate homeland security committee is looking into “Protecting the Homeland from Unmanned Aircraft Systems” starting at 10.15am ET.