Joe Biden invites Benjamin Netanyahu to meet in US, but not at the White House

The long-awaited invitation from Biden has come – but the nature of it suggests Israel’s Prime Minister is still persona non grata.

TEL AVIV (JTA) — President Joe Biden has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet in the United States soon, after months of holding off on inviting him to the White House.

The invitation was extended and accepted during a phone call between the two leaders on Monday. Israeli prime ministers typically receive an invitation to Washington shortly after taking office, but Biden, who has known Netanyahu for decades, has so far held off on inviting him to the capital.

This invitation may not exactly end the wait: According to reports from Axios and the Jerusalem Post, citing the prime minister’s office, Biden’s invitation did not mention the White House, meaning the leaders could potentially meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September. A White House official confirmed the invitation on Monday.

In addition to the White House visit, Netanyahu and Biden discussed the judicial overhaul, a key piece of which is set to pass this week. They also discussed countering threats from Iran and easing tensions in the West Bank, which has seen an escalation of violence this year.

The delay in the White House invitation has been widely attributed to the right-wing policies pushed by Netanyahu’s government coalition, including an effort to weaken the country’s judiciary — which Biden strongly opposes. The Biden administration has also harshly criticized recent Israeli plans to expand West Bank settlements.

In March, shortly after Netanyahu paused the judicial overhaul in the face of mass protests, Biden said Israel “cannot continue down this road.” Asked when he would be inviting Netanyahu to visit, Biden responded at the time, “Not in the near term.”