In an open crisis with the Israeli government over the judicial overhaul, President Joe Biden nixes inviting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu anytime soon to the White House.
US President Joe Biden will not be hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu anytime soon in the White House, and is instead urging him to walk away from the judicial overhaul legislation his government has been advancing but was forced to delay this week.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Biden made it clear that Netanyahu is still not on his schedule for a White House visit. “Not in the near term,” the US president said. Unlike his predecessors who would have visited Washington in the early months of their premiership, Netanyahu still has not made such a trip since taking office in December. The early months of his tenure have been rocked by protests over the judicial overhaul plan that his government is pushing, but is being met with nationwide protests.
The legislation which would see Israel’s High Court undermined and would grant its politicians more power in appointing judges, has created a rift with the Biden administration and the American Jewish community. Biden said he had not spoken with Netanyahu in the last few days but rather delivered a message via US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides. Pressed by a reporter that Washington might be seen to be interfering in domestic Israeli politics, Biden said, “We don’t want to interfere…We’re not interfering. They know my position. They know America’s position. They know the American Jewish position.”
Biden made his remark one day after Netanyahu announced on Monday he was suspending the legislation of the judicial overhaul until July, in hopes of finding a compromise.
