Transcript - Interview: Yonit Levi of Channel 12 in Israel Interviews Joe Biden in Washington - July 12, 2022 | Factba.se

Yonit Levi

00:00:00 - 00:00:04 ()

President Joe Biden, thank you so much for talking to us today.

Joe Biden

00:00:04 - 00:00:05 ()

Yonit Levi

00:00:05 - 00:00:24 ()

And we're happy to talk to you. In a few hours you're going to embark on your trip to Israel in Saudi Arabia. You've had a long-standing, very warm connection to Israel, spanning decades. You've been there nine times, this is your 10th visit. But first -- your first as president. Is it different for you to come as president?

Joe Biden

00:00:24 - 00:00:56 ()

It was kind of like going home. I know that sounds strange, but it does I -- I was raised by what my Jewish friends call a righteous Christian who -- were we come home for dinner before I go back and close the business. And it's a place where we gathered to have conversation incidentally. And he used to talk about how -- how what happened to the Jews in Europe was so terrible and why did we bombed the railroad tracks and why didn't we go to the concentration camps etc.

Joe Biden

00:00:56 - 00:01:26 ()

And so I've, I've, I've had a relationship with the Jewish community in my state. That has really been close from the time I was 20 years old. And -- and then gotten to meet every prime minister and as gold mayor. Gold had a great line I was with her. And she was actually warned she was sitting at her desk and a guy sitting next to me was her assistant a guy named Rabin.

Joe Biden

00:01:26 - 00:01:49 ()

For real. And she was sitting at her desk and pulling down those maps she had me and talking about all the damage and everything that were done. And so it was all of a sudden she said, "Would you like a picture?" And I said, "Well, yes, Madam Prime Minister, and she's looking straight ahead. She said, "Don't look so sad." I said, "Madam Prime Minister, the picture you painted." we're just looking straight ahead.

Joe Biden

00:01:49 - 00:02:05 ()

She said, "We have a secret weapon." I thought she was gonna tell me. So I turned. She said, "We have no place to go." That's true. And that's why I think it's so important that we maintain the kind of relationship we have.

Yonit Levi

00:02:05 - 00:02:25 ()

So I'm connecting to what you say, sir, and I'd like to pick up and talk and ask you about Iran. You know, most of Israelis are opposed to return to the Iran deal. And American partners in the region seem skeptical. May I ask you or many Israelis wonder why you're determined to return to the deal?

Joe Biden

00:02:25 - 00:02:53 ()

Because the only worse than the Iran that exists now is Iran with nuclear weapons. And if we can return to the deal and hold on tight, I think it was a gigantic mistake for the last president to get out of the deal. They're closer to a nuclear weapon now than there were before. It doesn't have anything to do with whether or not the cause for us is going to stop or they're going to continue to be engaged in activities.

Joe Biden

00:02:53 - 00:03:06 ()

We can act against that and still have a deal where they can tell their nuclear program. And so I still think it makes sense we've laid out on the table. We've made the deal. We've offered it and it's up to Iran now.

Yonit Levi

00:03:06 - 00:03:13 ()

Are you committed to keep the RGC on the Foreign Terrorist Organization list even if that means that kills the deal?

Joe Biden

00:03:13 - 00:03:15 ()

Yonit Levi

00:03:15 - 00:03:27 ()

You -- In the past have you -- do anything -- and you say it again that you're ensuring Ron would not acquire nuclear weapons. does that also mean sir that you would use force against Iran? Is that what that means?

Joe Biden

00:03:27 - 00:03:30 ()

That was a last resort? Yes.

Yonit Levi

00:03:30 - 00:03:34 ()

And would you work in Israel with that kind of thing? Have you received any assurances from Israel.

Joe Biden

00:03:34 - 00:03:39 ()

I'm not going to speculate on that, but Iran cannot get a nuclear weapon.

Yonit Levi

00:03:39 - 00:03:47 ()

Have you received any assurances from the Israeli government from Bennett or Lapid that they will not act without your knowledge?

Joe Biden

00:03:47 - 00:03:48 ()

I'm not going to discuss that.

Yonit Levi

00:03:48 - 00:03:50 ()

We can't blame a girl for trying, sir.

Joe Biden

00:03:50 - 00:03:51 ()

Yonit Levi

00:03:51 - 00:04:08 ()

So I want to ask you, if I may about -- about Saudi Arabia. You will be making an historic flight after visiting Israel. Could you explain for us, sir, what is the reasoning is it about oil prices, is it about giving some sort of answer to Iran? What is the trip about?

Joe Biden

00:04:08 - 00:04:26 ()

The trip is about stability in the Middle East. It's overwhelming the interest in United States of America to have more stability in the Middle East, number one. It's overwhelming the interest of Israel and I think the United States in the region for Israel a more integrated region and accepted as an equal.

Joe Biden

00:04:26 - 00:04:56 ()

And so for every reason it makes sense to me that I would go to the GCC is not just Saudis happens to be held in Saudi Arabia now, but it's all about making sure that we're in a situation where the broader picture is that there are those who thought with the last administration, we sort of walked away from the Middle East that we were going to create a vacuum that China and or Russia would fill, and we can't let that happen.

Joe Biden

00:04:56 - 00:05:15 ()

And so -- and secondly, more Israel is integrated in another region as [inaudible] accepted, the more likely there is going to be a means by which they can eventually come to accommodation with the Palestinians down the road.

Yonit Levi

00:05:15 - 00:05:22 ()

Maybe you can give us a preview of what to expect on that exactly on -- on the normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Joe Biden

00:05:22 - 00:05:35 ()

Oh, it's going to take a long time but increasing a relationship in terms of acceptance of issues of each other's presence, the working together on certain things, it all make sense to me.

Yonit Levi

00:05:35 - 00:05:54 ()

You're really at the forefront, sir, of pushing for military security assistance for Israel. We should note that Obama, the Obama-Biden administration oversaw the approval of the Iron Dome, but there are also other voices in the Democratic Party, sir. Voices that say that Israel is an apartheid state calling for an end of unconditional aid.

Yonit Levi

00:05:54 - 00:05:58 ()

There's an undeniable gap between you and those voices.

Joe Biden

00:05:58 - 00:06:25 ()

There are a few of them. I think they're wrong. I think they're making a mistake. Israel is a democracy. Israel is our ally. Israel is a friend. And I think that I make no apologies. We've -- we've provided for my administration for billion dollars plus the billion for Iron Dome, and we're working on a laser project to be able to replace Iron Dome.

Joe Biden

00:06:25 - 00:06:30 ()

It's overwhelming our interest that is that Israel be stable.

Yonit Levi

00:06:30 - 00:06:40 ()

But if even an issue like interceptors for the Iron Dome is a controversial thing should be concerned for the -- for the future of the relationship between Israel and the Republican Party.

Joe Biden

00:06:40 - 00:06:50 ()

No, no, there's no possibility I think of the Democratic Party or even a significant portion Republican Party walking away from Israel.

Yonit Levi

00:06:50 - 00:07:13 ()

You're going to meet with Prime Minister Yair Lapid, you're also going to be with the Leader of the Opposition Netanyahu. You've known each other for many years. And the Obama-Netanyahu relationship was -- you were then Vice President very tumultuous years. If he wins, you know, we're having elections fairly many times these years, if he wins and returns to office, are we going to see a return of that fraught relationship?

Joe Biden

00:07:13 - 00:07:48 ()

Now what you're going to see is Israel's a democracy. We're committed to the state, not an individual leader, just like Israel. Our allies are not committed to an individual president. They're committed to the state of the United States. And so Bibi and I have known each other for close to 40 years. And we, we know where we agree where we disagree, we make no bones about it, but it's -- I'm dealing with a democratic state that is going through a decision as to who they're going to have as leader.

Joe Biden

00:07:48 - 00:07:50 ()

Whoever the leader is, I'll work with.

Yonit Levi

00:07:50 - 00:08:04 ()

You're meeting also with Mahmoud Abbas. Yair Lapid became the first prime minister in five years to -- to call him. Do you expect any sort of progress on that, on that track at all in this specific political climate?

Joe Biden

00:08:04 - 00:08:32 ()

Well, look, you may recall that I think personal diplomacy matters. What the -- the war that took place not too long ago, lasted days, not months, because I got deeply involved in talking with all the leadership, whether it was -- whether it was in Israel or whether it was with -- with a boss or whether it was Egyptians.

Joe Biden

00:08:32 - 00:08:45 ()

And so I think that it always matters to talk to see if you can reach any consensus even on small things, to lessen the prospects of continued conflict.

Yonit Levi

00:08:45 - 00:09:06 ()

On the issue of talking you're the one who led a coordinated international support for Ukraine. International pressure on Putin. We're almost five months into this, sir, and gasoline -- natural gas food prices rising. Are you concerned when you look at the resilience of this alliance when these are the economic pressures?

Joe Biden

00:09:06 - 00:09:42 ()

Well, look. As you accurately pointed out when we predicted -- I predicted he was going to attack others were saying no, he's not going to -- he's going to -- he's going to invade. The idea that we would stand by in the West NATO in particular, and have the largest invasion of physical force and other countries since World War II and stand there was just not even not in the cards, and everything that he's attempted to accomplish has backfired for him.

Joe Biden

00:09:42 - 00:10:06 ()

Number two, we were able to maintain complete coherence and stability in Europe at all the NATO allies. And -- and as I said at the time, when we impose sanctions -- the sanctions on Russia was gonna hurt everybody. We were going to but it was the price of being able to keep this guy from being able to succeed, and I think it's important.

Yonit Levi

00:10:06 - 00:10:10 ()

So how long as this going to last? How long is this onslaught going to last? His onslaught.

Joe Biden

00:10:10 - 00:10:16 ()

As long as it's going to take. When we're there tool takes whatever time it takes. We cannot let him prevail.

Yonit Levi

00:10:16 - 00:10:19 ()

It can take months, it can take years.

Joe Biden

00:10:19 - 00:10:21 ()

Yonit Levi

00:10:21 - 00:10:23 ()

You think the wa can take years to 10?

Joe Biden

00:10:23 - 00:10:24 ()

No, you said that.

Yonit Levi

00:10:24 - 00:10:25 ()

Joe Biden

00:10:25 - 00:10:26 ()

You said it could. OK.

Yonit Levi

00:10:26 - 00:10:26 ()

Joe Biden

00:10:26 - 00:10:44 ()

No. It could. But I think that the pressure on Putin, in particular, on Russia generally, is meant they're not just trying to defeat Ukraine and trying to eliminate Ukraine and said we just can't let that stand.

Yonit Levi

00:10:44 - 00:10:59 ()

You know, I must ask you, Mr. President, you -- in eight days will be in office for 18 months. And I think there's a famous story in your biography by Evan Osnos that you really at the age of 18 said you want it to be present.

Joe Biden

00:10:59 - 00:11:09 ()

Nobody says that. I don't ever remember saying that. They're at all my biographies, they say Biden knew he wanted to be president.

Yonit Levi

00:11:09 - 00:11:10 ()

Joe Biden

00:11:10 - 00:11:38 ()

No. That's not true. What I did, let me tell you, I got involved in public life, because of the civil rights movement. It wasn't about being president when anybody run for office. For example, everybody says I knew I was going to be a senator before I was 30. Know what happened? I was trying to organize the Democratic Party as part of a young guy trying to get involved with some senior members to move it into the -- into the Democratic Party of the Northeast.

Joe Biden

00:11:38 - 00:12:03 ()

And so I got involved in a group of people came to me and said, "You got to run for local office." I said I was 26 years old. I said, "I can't, I'm just starting a law firm." And I said, well, the Senate you can go to Dover I said I can't do that. And then the group came in local group from where I lived came to me and said, "How about running for the county council?" And I looked at him I said, "I don't have time." but I was gonna be a good soldier and get in there.

Joe Biden

00:12:03 - 00:12:15 ()

I won a four-year term. Next thing I know, I'm trying to get someone to run for the Senate with a group of people and a group came to me and said, "Why don't you run?" I said to them, "Am I old enough to run?" One thing led to another and here I am.

Yonit Levi

00:12:15 - 00:12:32 ()

One thing led to another. I have to ask. Israel is very obsessed with American politics. This gives us respite from our crazy politics. You are the most political experience person in -- in probably in this country, are you predicting a Biden-Trump rematch at 2024?

Joe Biden

00:12:32 - 00:12:37 ()

I'm not predicted but I -- I would, I would not be disappointed.

Yonit Levi

00:12:37 - 00:12:40 ()

You will not be disappointed. So you look forward to that rematch?

Joe Biden

00:12:40 - 00:13:12 ()

No. Look. The one thing I know about politics in American politics, in particular, is there's no way to predict what's gonna happen. I -- where I'm not even halfway through my term yet, because there's a lot of room to figure out what's going to happen. But my hope is, my hope is that the Republican Party moves back to a normal -- normal position is not this mega party that is become in many ways, and conclude by saying that I ran for three reasons.

Joe Biden

00:13:12 - 00:13:37 ()

This last time I had no intention of running for real until I saw those people coming out of the fields down in Virginia, in Charlottesville carrying torches and Nazi flags and singing the same anti-semitic bile that was sung in the 30s in Germany, and my family we sat had a family meeting, they thought I should run and I took a shot.

Joe Biden

00:13:37 - 00:14:01 ()

So I've run it for three reasons and no one in my campaign agreed. I said number one, to restore the soul of America, to get back to who we are as a people. And the way we tend to the way we talk to one another, the way we treat one another. The second thing was to rebuild the backbone of this country, the middle class when the middle class does well, everybody does well we'll pour them away up and the wealthy stay wealthy.

Joe Biden

00:14:01 - 00:14:06 ()

And thirdly, to unite the country. I still haven't accomplished that third piece, and that's what I'm trying to do.

Yonit Levi

00:14:06 - 00:14:08 ()

So that sounds like a reelection campaign, sir.

Joe Biden

00:14:08 - 00:14:10 ()

No, that was my original campaign.

Yonit Levi

00:14:10 - 00:14:12 ()

Joe Biden

00:14:12 - 00:14:12 ()

Yonit Levi

00:14:12 - 00:14:17 ()

Thank you very much for this conversation, sir. And have safe travels in the best of luck. Thank you.

Joe Biden

00:14:17 - 00:14:21 ()

Thank you. Well, if you need a ride home, we're going. All right. Well, thank you so much.

Yonit Levi

00:14:21 - 00:14:22 ()

I'll take you up on that.

Note

00:14:22 - 00:14:22 ()

[After the interview, Joe Biden sang happy birthday to Yonit Levy. The video was released via Twitter.]

Joe Biden

00:14:22 - 00:14:25 ()

Here's the deal, ready?

Unidentified

00:14:25 - 00:14:25 ()

Joe Biden

00:14:25 - 00:14:27 ()

We're all going to sing Happy Birthday. Ready?

Yonit Levi

00:14:27 - 00:14:27 ()

Unidentified

00:14:27 - 00:14:28 ()

Joe Biden

00:14:28 - 00:14:46 ()

One, two, three. [With group] Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Yonit, happy birthday to you. Like I said, it's hell turning 30.

Yonit Levi

00:14:46 - 00:14:48 ()

[Laughs] That's setting the bar very high on birthdays sir.

Joe Biden

00:14:48 - 00:14:52 ()

Thank you, thank you. Alright.