"Seeking input" on the Middle East, VP Biden talks to .....US Jewish groups leaders!

Politico/ here

Vice President Joseph Biden invited U.S. Jewish group leaders to the White House yesteday to get input for his upcoming trip to Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan and possibly Egypt ...

Among those who attended the powwow yesterday, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations's Alan Solow and Malcolm Hoenlein, the Orthodox Union's Nathan Diament, the Jewish Federation of North America's Kathy Manning, AIPAC's Lee Rosenberg, the Reform Jewish Movement's Rabbi David Saperstein, former Congressman Robert Wexler, as well as long-time Biden friends Jack Rosen, formerly with the American Jewish Committee, and philanthropist and Democratic donor Haim Saban. Among those who attended from the White House: Dennis Ross, the NSC's senior Iran and wider regional strategist, NSC Senior Director for the Middle East and North Africa Daniel Shapiro, Biden and his longtime advisor Tony Blinken.

........ Diament writes at the OU blog. "In the wake of the meeting, it can be said that Israelis and supporters of Israel in the U.S. should pay close attention to what Vice President Biden says and where he goes next week - it will be important."

Biden gives a speech next week to Israelis at Tel Aviv University,...... a speech that is important and significant for Israeli-American relations,'" the paper reported. "The political portion of his visit will likely concentrate on the Iranian nuclear question, with Biden stressing before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. expects Israel to assist in the effort to foil, using diplomatic means, Iran's nuclear ambitions through the imposition of effective sanctions at the UN Security Council, thus avoiding unilateral steps that may include an attack on Iran's nuclear installations."

Other sources said they saw Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren at the White House as well yesterday - thought to be for a separate meeting with Biden."