On Monday, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy called for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be invited to the White House for an official

visit, after months without an invitation from Washington. Speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem, McCarthy, who is leading a bi-partisan delegation to Israel, urged the White House to invite Netanyahu for a meeting, particularly in light of the 75th anniversary.

While President Joe Biden has avoided a public confrontation with Netanyahu, he has opposed the Israeli government’s plans to strip the country’s highest court of much of its power. Critics of the overhaul argue that it removes checks on government activity, while supporters believe it restores balance to the branches of government. The planned legislation has caused mass protests and propelled Israel into a national crisis.

Netanyahu and his far-right coalition entered government following a sweeping win in the November elections. However, Biden has yet to invite the prime minister for an official visit, which is unusual for an Israeli head of state, as most new Israeli leaders have met the president by this point in their premierships.

In recent months, Biden and senior members of his team have expressed concerns over Israeli plans for settlement expansion on the West Bank and about violence between Israelis and Palestinians. McCarthy, who has close ties to Netanyahu, has said that if the president does not invite the prime minister to the White House, he will invite him to Washington for his own visit. McCarthy also confirmed that Israel’s largely ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, will be visiting the White House soon for a joint session. Photo by Chatham House, Wikimedia commons.