Netanyahu says Biden extended invite to US

President Biden has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit the United States, the Israeli leader’s office said in a statement on Monday following a phone call between the two.

The invitation comes more than seven months after Netanyahu was sworn in as prime minister. 

The delay in offering Netanyahu an invitation from the White House was viewed as a major snub from Biden, who has criticized far-right members of the prime minister’s governing coalition as “extreme.”

Netanyahu spoke with Biden by phone as Israeli President Isaac Herzog is traveling to Washington for meetings with the White House and to address a joint session of Congress.

White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby said the “where’s and the when’s” of the visit are still being worked out in response to a question over whether Netanyahu will visit Washington.

“They have agreed that they will meet, probably before the end of this year, and all the details of the where’s and the when’s are still being worked out,” Kirby said.

The focus of the phone call between the two leaders included curbing threats from Iran and brokering new ties between Israel and its Arab neighbors as part of the Abraham Accords. 

Netanyahu also told Biden about “his intention to try to forge a broad public consensus” on elements of a judicial reform package that have faced wide-spread and near-daily opposition on the Israeli street and drawn criticism from the president and his top officials.  

Netanyahu and Biden also talked about “the continuation of efforts for calm and stability” in the West Bank, which has seen an escalating cycle of violence between Israelis and Palestinians. 

Netanyahu is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister but his latest tenure, which began in December 2022, has led to an intense period of strained relations with Washington.

Netanyahu solidified his governing coalition through and agreement with controversial, far-right Israeli lawmakers that are calling for Israel to abandon efforts for a two-state solution with the Palestinians and push through an overhaul of the country’s courts that critics say erase their independence and oversight. 

Biden, in an interview with CNN last week, referred to these Israeli lawmakers as “extreme” and said that he hopes Netanyahu will “move toward moderation in changing the court.”

Updated: 3:29 p.m.