Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit the United States this month, marking his first trip to the country since his re-election late last year. However, his visit does not include plans for a meeting with President Joe Biden, reflecting ongoing tensions between the two leaders.
Netanyahu’s visit is scheduled to begin on September 18 when he lands in San Francisco for meetings in Silicon Valley. Afterward, he will proceed to New York, where he will participate in the United Nations General Assembly.
A spokesperson for Netanyahu’s office confirmed that there are no scheduled meetings with US officials during his visit, a departure from the usual practice for visiting Israeli leaders.
Tensions between Netanyahu and President Biden have been simmering for months. Biden has openly criticized Netanyahu’s government for its pursuit of a judicial overhaul, which critics argue poses a threat to democracy in Israel.
In contrast, President Biden recently hosted Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who holds a largely ceremonial role in Israel’s government. However, Netanyahu has not received an invitation to the White House since returning to power in December, despite Biden’s prior characterization of his administration as “one of the most extremist” in Israeli history.
In July, the White House announced that Biden and Netanyahu would “meet in the United States later this year,” but no further details regarding the meeting have been provided. The omission of a meeting during Netanyahu’s upcoming visit underscores the ongoing strains in US-Israeli relations under their respective leaderships.