BICOM

US Vice President Joe Biden will arrive in Israel today to meet the country’s leaders and is expected to make progress in discussions on a new American military aid package to Israel.

Biden will land in Israel this afternoon and will first meet with Israel’s former-President Shimon Peres at the Peres Centre for Peace, before having dinner with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Tomorrow, he will have a working meeting with Netanyahu and also meet with Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin.

It is thought that a major topic in Biden’s meetings with Netanyahu will be the details of a new ten-year American military aid package. The current arrangement will soon expire and negotiations have been taking place for a new deal, although gaps between the two sides over both the amount of aid and type of military hardware are thought to remain. Meanwhile, Ynet also reports that Biden will look to advance negotiations between Israel and Turkey over the reestablishment of diplomatic ties. Israel’s relationship with the Palestinian Authority (PA) is also likely to be on the agenda. Biden will travel to Ramallah tomorrow evening to meet PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

It is Biden’s first official visit for six years, although he attended former-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s funeral in 2014. In 2010, his trip coincided with the publication of tenders for 1,600 housing units in the West Bank during his visit, which placed an awkward strain on the visit.

Biden’s arrival today follows a visit to Israel last week by US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford, Jr., which coincided with a major biennial military exercise between Israeli and US forces, involving 3,200 troops, which culminated yesterday with the launch of a Patriot missile from the Palmahim air base.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s office confirmed yesterday that he will not be travelling to the United States this month to attend the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference and will subsequently not visit the White House.