Washington - "Jerusalem" dot com - Saeed Erekat - An American official said in an interview with "Al Quds" dot com, yesterday, Thursday, that US President Joe Biden does not wish to see the collapse of the Israeli government.

"Biden has worked hard to prevent the collapse of the Israeli government coalition, and he feels satisfied with the presence of Yair Lapid as prime minister of the Israeli government," he said.

The source, who asked not to be named, said, "President Biden worked well with Benjamin Netanyahu in the first months of his presidency, and he and his administration worked closely with Naftali Bennett during 12 months that were characterized by close cooperation on issues of concern to the United States and Israel, and great achievements, especially in issues that concern the United States and Israel." Israel's security concerns, which the president is committed to as a US strategic priority always and forever, and now he looks with enthusiasm and passion to work with Yair Lapid, who became prime minister in Israel.

In response to a question if Biden was surprised by the Israeli government change on the eve of his visit to Israel and the region, and that Lapid is the one who will receive him as prime minister instead of Naftali Bennett, the source said, "President (Biden) views Israel as a democratic country that has the right to choose its leaders as is the case in vital democracies, and holds A real desire to work with Israel, which is politically stable, and he worked in this way with previous Israeli governments, and Prime Minister (Lapid) is the third prime minister since President Biden came to the White House in January 2021, and Biden worked effectively and supported, supported Israel's security needs, and thwarted threats Iran, supports efforts to integrate Israel into the region, and promote the Abraham Accords, and will continue to support them under Lapid's presidency.

He added, "Yes, there was tension in relations when Biden was Vice President of the United States during the negotiations with Iran, except for reaching the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the Iranian nuclear agreement) in 2015, but the two dealt with each other professionally and in a way that serves the interests of Israel and the United States during the period that They crossed paths with her as leaders of their respective governments (January 20, 2021, until June 13, 2021), and the smooth work continued with Prime Minister Bennett, and now Lapid—there is not much change, but there is a good, positive chemistry with Lapid and perhaps an ideological affinity between the two—of course the President would like that There will be a stable Israeli government and he will support all efforts aimed at strengthening the stability of the Israeli government."

And about whether the Biden administration expects Lapid to be more willing to work with the Palestinians in order to reach the American vision of stopping settlements and achieving a two-state solution, in line with its declared positions, the source said, "Our position is known: We hope that the two parties will not take unilateral steps from It would confuse our aspirations for a two-state solution, ensuring a decent life for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples, and stopping violence. As President (Biden) did with previous governments, he will continue to advance this vision and his commitment to the two-state solution, and the need for continued work and cooperation between the Palestinians and the Israelis, as there is nothing that has changed in this regard. .

Regarding Biden's visit next week, the source added, "This is a very important visit: the president will take the opportunity to stress the priority of Israel's security and the need to deepen its integration into the region. He will also assure the Palestinians that the United States wants to see them live in dignity and, ultimately, live in their own state that is being reached." To it through negotiation between the two parties...the president will assure the US allies whom he will meet that the United States is a reliable ally in facing all challenges, especially those coming from Iran.

It is noteworthy that US President Joe Biden confirmed last week that he would meet Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman when he visits Riyadh (next week), but he stressed that the visit does not aim to put pressure on Saudi Arabia to increase oil production amid a crisis in production. Indeed, the main focus of this scheduled tour in the Middle East from July 13 to 16 is to "deepen Israel's integration into the region."

According to experts, what is going on behind the scenes in Washington is that Biden “feels happy with the arrival of Yair Lapid to head the Israeli ministry,” and will do everything in his power to help him, and that he will take advantage of his visit to Israel next week in order to enhance Lapid’s chances of winning the upcoming elections, given that Biden "He wants to see the sustainability of the Israeli government, and he does not want to see efforts to achieve common goals hindered by dizzying Israeli political maneuvers, just as he - frankly - does not want to see Netanyahu as the prime minister of Israel again."

Regarding Lapid's relations with the Palestinians, and whether there are prospects for cooperation between Lapid and the Palestinian Authority, The Times of Israel attributed a senior US official as saying, "The Biden administration does not expect relations to improve significantly with the Palestinians, or for Lapid to provide any Concessions to the Palestinians, and that this development (Lapid's rise to the position of prime minister) may actually complicate Israel's relations with the Palestinians in the short term."

It is noteworthy that Lapid had expressed in the past his support for the two-state solution, which was opposed by Naftali Bennett, and in his first speech as prime minister, he also expressed his desire to achieve peace with the Palestinians, according to the "Times of Israel" website.

Al-Quds learned that Biden will visit East Jerusalem, and he will visit the "Al-Mutala' Hospital - Augusta Victoria Medical Complex" in the Mount of Olives, the Al-Buraq Wall, and he will visit the city of Bethlehem, where he will meet with President Mahmoud Abbas.