On 'The View,' Biden says wider war in the Middle East is 'possible,' but a settlement is still in play

President Joe Biden said an “all-out war” in the Middle East is possible amid escalating attacks between Israel and Hezbollah during an interview on The View on Wednesday in New York City, where he is participating in the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly. At the same time, the president expressed optimism that there is still time for a “settlement that can fundamentally change the whole region. ” “One of the things that I found is that the Arab world very much wants to have a settlement because they know what it does for them,” Biden said. “They are willing to make arrangements with Israel – alliances with Israel – if Israel changes some policies. ” The president went on to reiterate that there needs to be a two-state solution, a concept that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has largely rejected.

The Middle East has seen a surge in violence between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in recent days, escalating and bringing a new urgency to longstanding concerns that the war in Gaza could expand into a wider regional conflict. Strikes between the two in recent days have killed hundreds in Lebanon, according to local officials. Biden also discussed former President Donald Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced him as the Democratic nominee for president, his decision to drop his bid for reelection and his legacy in the wide-ranging interview. Biden said that after he leaves the White House, he will continue to work on foreign policy at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, which he established in 2018 after his time as vice president, and on domestic policy at his alma mater, the University of Delaware.