This week’s meetings between CIA director William Burns and his Israeli hosts have been described by insiders as excellent. Burns met with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and new Mossad chief David Barnea to exchange views on Iran and prepare Bennett’s White House meeting with President Joe Biden later this month. According to senior Israeli officials privy to the discussions, Burns' goals for the meetings were realized in full.

Bennett presented Burns with the pillars of the new government’s policy on Iran, explaining that while Israel opposes a return to the original version of the nuclear agreement with Tehran, it would coordinate with the Biden administration and avoid going behind its back to thwart the deal.

Bennett also explained that Israel strives to agree on a joint strategy with the United States in the event that negotiations with Iran fail, dealing with all types of Iranian aggression, including its nuclear project and spread of terrorism, destabilization of regimes in the Middle East and proliferation of rockets and missiles.

The third item on the agenda concerns the Palestinian issue, with each side “recognizing the sensitivities of the other” on the matter. According to Israeli security sources, Israel plans to make substantive, tangible goodwill gestures toward the Palestinians in order to portray Biden in a positive light as delivering the goods to the Palestinian Authority and thereby gain his trust on Iran-related issues.