REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON/TEL AVIV, Oct 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's White House is wrestling with thorny security and political challenges as officials consider a potential trip to Israel that may hold longer-term diplomatic advantages for Biden. A visit would, however, grant Biden fresh leverage to influence events on the ground and bolster his image at home. Highlighting the unique security risks facing a Biden trip, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Israel for meetings, was forced to take shelter in a bunker for five minutes with Netanyahu when sirens went off in Tel Aviv during their meeting. Forty-one percent of respondents said they agreed with a statement that "the U.S. should support Israel" in its conflict with Hamas, while just 2% said the U.S. should support the Palestinians. Biden has visited Israel 10 times, first as a senator in 1973, before the Yom Kippur War involving Israel, Egypt and Syria.

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Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Kevin Lamarque, Joe Biden's, Biden, Adrienne Watson, Netanyahu, Kirsten Fontenrose, Antony Blinken, Olaf Scholz, Jon Alterman, Alterman, Mahmoud Abbas, Alon Pinkas, Ehud Barak, Richard Nixon, Trevor Hunnicutt, Jarrett Renshaw, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Holland, Matt Spetalnick, Heather Timmons, Howard Goller, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Israeli, General Assembly, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Biden, Israel, National Security, U.S, Atlantic Council, Presidential, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Service, Republicans, Reuters, Democratic, Gaza, Palestinian, West Bank, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, TEL AVIV, Israel, Washington's, East, Iran, Hezbollah, Syria, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Lebanon, GAZA, Colorado, Egypt, Washington