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Hello and welcome to the Americano podcast, a series of discussions about American power, politics and society.

On each episode, I will talk to an American expert or an expert on America

about something that's going on in America in 2023. I am delighted to be joined today by

Dennis Ross, who joins me from Austin, Texas, and Dennis Ross is a former envoys of the Middle East under

Bill Clinton and a professor at Georgetown University, among other distinguished titles.

Dennis, Joe Biden went to Israel yesterday, and I can tell from your Twitter feed that you were quite impressed by his performance

there. Can you tell me what struck you as good about his visit, his speech, and so on?

I think there were several things. Number one, we've never had an American president,

notwithstanding how every American president proclaims the ironclad commitment to Israel's security,

we've ever had an American president go to Israel during wartime.

And at a time when Hezbollah and Iran are posturing in the north that they might open another front,

having the president go there on top of the deployments he's made of two carrier strike groups

into the eastern Mediterranean, it sends a very strong signal of deterrence on the one hand,

but it also does something else.

Israel is still in a state of shock, given what's happened.

At a time when the country is reeling, even though I think the sort of military has recovered

its footing, having the President of United States come in there provides such a source of

reassurance. I think this is a moment where reassurance was necessary, but it also allows him

the ability to say things to Israel and Israeli leadership.

...