Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit Tuesday to Washington comes at a fraught moment in the relationship between the United States and Israel.
President Biden will host Israel’s president at the White House this week amid growing tension over the hard-right Israeli government’s proposed judicial system reforms and plans to expand settlements in the West Bank.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit Tuesday to Washington comes at a fraught moment in the relationship between the United States and Israel, nations with a longtime security alliance that has been strained in recent months by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new conservative governing coalition.
Herzog will meet with Biden and then address a joint session of Congress later Tuesday to mark the 75th anniversary of Israel’s independence.
But the fanfare surrounding the appearance by Herzog—who serves in a largely symbolic role—will be clouded by the recent strife in Israel, as well as concern among democracy advocates that the nation’s sharp rightward shift since Netanyahu returned to power last year has shut the door for now on a two-state solution that would grant Palestinians a homeland.
« It’s a really pivotal moment in Israel’s history, » said Jeremy Ben-Ami, the president of J-Street, a liberal advocacy group. « The proposals that [Netanyahu’s] government are pursuing would move Israel away from the liberal democratic camp. That’s why there’s protesters in the streets.
