The president-elect of the United States is known for his many pro-Israel statements, but also for his long-standing criticism of the settlements. • Biden is one of Washington's most senior politicians, and alongside a meeting with Golda Meir and a speech declaring him a Zionist, his voting record and attitude toward countries evening
Biden visits Israel in 2010 // Photo: Reuters
The president-elect, Joe Biden, is one of the oldest American politicians in the arena and his many years of experience in various Senate positions and then as Vice President of the United States has been heavily involved in issues related to the Jewish state and surrounding countries.
A drop in the depths of Biden's political career and familiarity with his work could, perhaps, explain who the man will enter the White House in January.
Joe Biden was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1972 and from the beginning of his tenure as a legislator he has shown interest in foreign policy.
Biden, 30 years old in total, had already shown a keen interest in what was happening in Israel and formulated a worldview that expressed on the one hand a commitment to the existence and survival of Israel, but opposition to its expansion and a call for a peace agreement between it and the Arabs.
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The young Biden presented this worldview to the then Prime Minister, Golda Meir, at a meeting held in 1972, shortly before the Yom Kippur War, during a tour of Israel conducted by the young senator.
Vice President Biden told the story to guests at the Independence Day party at the Israeli Embassy in 2015. Along with a photo opportunity alongside the iconic Prime Minister, Biden warned Golda Meir against a creeping annexation of Judea and Samaria and suggested she withdraw from non-strategic points in Judea and Samaria, Golan Heights and Sinai Peninsula.
During the meeting, Golda painted Israel's military situation in very gloomy colors, apparently in the hope of further assistance from the United States while military tensions with Arab countries increased, and the young senator from Delaware appeared anxious.
Golda, who asked for a signal and why he looked worried, assured Biden that: "We have a secret weapon Mr. Senator, we have nowhere else to go."
Nearly fifty years later, Biden claimed that this conversation greatly influenced his attitude toward Israel, but his sympathetic approach to the Jewish state throughout his political career also touched on the view that it should compromise with its neighbors and avoid measures that would increase tensions in the region.
The question of legislation
Opinions are significantly divided over Senator Biden's record for Israel.
Although various journalists and politicians in Israel have repeatedly argued that Biden's voting record, along with the legislation he initiated, falls far short of that of other lawmakers who defined a pro-Israel bone as Biden defined.
Compared to the criticism, over the years there have also been claims of merit and of Biden regarding his votes with Israel.