President Joe Biden engaged in a meeting with Israel’s president on Tuesday July 18 at the White House. However, despite the cordial welcome, the encounter could not conceal the underlying tensions between the US leader and what he perceives as the “extremist” government led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
President Isaac Herzog, who has a mostly ceremonial role in Israel, was scheduled to meet with Biden in the Oval Office and on Wednesday is set to address a joint session of Congress.
Biden is likely to raise the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the threat from Iran’s nuclear program, and two Israeli domestic issues that have caused consternation in the White House, Netanyahu’s bid to reform the court system and a campaign of aggressive expansion by Jewish settlers into Palestinian territory.
Overshadowing Herzog’s presence, however, will be the leader with the real power in Israel Netanyahu.
Relations between Netanyahu and the Biden administration have been rocky ever since he made his political comeback at the head of a hardline coalition government in December.
His judicial reforms, said by opponents to be a power grab, have prompted weeks of mass street demonstrations, triggering disquiet in Washington.
A few lawmakers in Biden’s Democratic Party have said they are considering boycotting Herzog’s address to Congress in protest.
According to the US readout of the call, Biden “expressed concern about continued Jewish settlement growth” and “stressed the need to take measures to maintain the viability” of a future Palestinian state alongside Israel.
Earlier this month, Biden told CNN in an interview that Netanyahu presides over “one of the most extremist… cabinets that I’ve seen.”
Khalil Wakim, with AFP
