The White House has informed Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s office that Biden will not shake hands because of the virus, Israeli media reported. Initially, Biden followed the new protocols when landing in Israel – avoiding handshakes versus fist bumps while greeting senior Israeli officials, including Lapid, who were waiting on the tarmac at Ben Gurion Airport.
Biden then ran into former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the amiable back-slapping politicians did what they’ve done in the decades since they’ve known each other, though they’re often at odds: shake hands, energetic, full-contact political pump-up .
Naftali Bennett, the last prime minister, also received a handshake. Later it was Benny Gantz, the Secretary of Defense.
It quickly became clear that Biden—a notoriously out-of-touch politician—would not be able to adhere to the seemingly new guidelines.
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