MK Zvi Hauser
MK Zvi HauserAlex Kolomoisky

Former Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman MK Zvi Hauser (New Hope), who also served as former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet secretary, was interviewed on Radio 103FM on Sunday and commented on the meeting between Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and US President Joe Biden.

"Overall, according to reports, the meeting between the two was excellent. 48 hours have passed and we have not heard of any secondary waves, this is also another very good indication. It is important to note that what is said in private is critical and it seems to me that both sides conveyed the message that this is the beginning of a wonderful friendship. This is an important element in the first one-on-one encounter, because there is no second chance to make a first impression," Hauser said.

He added that "the United States’ declaration on Iran and its nuclear weapons was important. But it is not enough to just say it - there should be a credible American threat in the face of Iranian aggression on the nuclear issue. It is in my view a necessary condition for any diplomatic chance, of which I am very skeptical."

Hauser continued, "There is a sequence of possibilities between quiet and war - the United States is the most important friend of the State of Israel in many contexts, especially in the security context. So sometimes there are disagreements between friends, but we do not have to run to the media over every disagreement and start exchanging mutual blows. The understanding that it is possible to pick up the phone and try to reduce disagreements is a critical understanding, especially at the start of the relationship between the two new governments."

"It seems to me that we are also seeing a process in the United States and certainly in Israel, with the understanding that the Middle East of 2021 is not the same as the Middle East of 2011. There may still be disagreements, but I think the two countries will know how to resolve them amicably," Hauser concluded.