First lady sends Biden off with a kiss as he goes to Israel after Gaza hospital explosion: ‘I couldn’t let him go without kissing him goodbye’
- Jill Biden hosted the White House reception on the return of the US to UNESCO
- Trump withdrew in 2017, accusing the country of bias against Israel
- Trump heads to Israel amid rocket attacks, hospital bombings and ground troop buildup
First lady Jill Biden kissed the president on the cheek shortly before he left for Israel, amid a tense situation in the Middle East that President Biden hopes to prevent from turning into a broader conflict.
The president dropped by her event in the East Room of the White House just hours before leaving for Tel Aviv, on a day when Israel’s Iron Dome defenses continued to neutralize rocket attacks from Gaza.
“I couldn’t let him go without giving him a kiss goodbye,” she told the crowd, after kissing him on the cheek and whispering in his ear.
The event marked the return of the US to UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
First lady Jill Biden gave President Biden a kiss after he stopped by her White House event on a day he left for Israel
The US withdrew from the group in 2017 under former President Donald Trump, accusing it of being anti-Israel. The US stopped contributing to this after it admitted Palestine as a member state.
Biden had praised the group during his brief visit after Delaware Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, one of the co-chairs of his re-election campaign, spoke.
“I miss the Senate, I really do,” he said wistfully. “I miss seeing you, buddy.”
“Thank you all, and we’re happy to be part of your outfit,” he said.
The sensitive moment came hours before Biden drove in motorcade to Joint Base Andrews, where he left shortly after the White House confirmed he would no longer travel to Jordan for a high-stakes meeting.
The first couple touched cheeks as the first lady whispered into the president’s ear
The first lady hosted an event about her re-joining UNESCO
That came after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas canceled a meeting with Biden and Arab leaders after an explosion at a Gaza hospital was believed to have killed hundreds of people.
The Israeli army claimed that Gaza City’s al-Ahli hospital was hit by a misfired rocket fired by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists. The Health Ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza blamed an Israeli airstrike on the hospital in Gaza City, which was packed with wounded and other Palestinians seeking shelter.
“After consultations with King Abdullah II of Jordan and in light of the days of mourning announced by President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, President Biden will postpone his trip to Jordan and the planned meeting with these two leaders and President Sisi of Egypt.” a White House official said.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken had to leave for a security bunker during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
Biden’s trip comes as Israel gathers thousands of troops on the Gaza border as it prepares for a possible ground invasion to eliminate Hamas following horrific terror attacks in Israel on October 7.