Biden finally offers Netanyahu US invite after snubbing hawkish Israeli PM for months

US President Joe Biden has finally invited widely unpopular Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington for later this year after daring to snub a top Israeli official for months amid persisting political unrest challenging Netanyahu's regime and surging atrocities against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Netanyahu’s office declared that Biden had extended the invitation during a telephone conversation between the two sides on Monday, a day ahead of a visit to Washington by the Israeli regime’s president Isaac Herzong, who is due to address the US Congress in a largely ceremonial event intended to show support for the regime, since most American lawmakers receive campaign contribution and other perks and bribes from powerful pro-Israel lobby groups across the United States.

Biden had held off extending the invitation to Netanyahu out of concerns over his right-wing cabinet’s judicial overhaul bid and as well as the regime's expansion of settlements on the occupied West Bank, according to local press reports.

The reports further cited a senior Biden administration official as saying that the two leaders had agreed to meet "later this year in the United States," noting that whether the meeting would take place at the White House was unclear.

The development comes amid escalating violence against native Palestinians in the West Bank, the regime’s illegal measures authorizing settler outposts as well as inflammatory remarks from a member of Netanyahu's cabinet, drawing rare criticism of Tel Aviv by some US officials.

This is while White House national security spokesperson John Kirby emphasized that Biden remains concerned about the judicial overhaul and "some of the extremist activities and behavior by some members of the Netanyahu cabinet."

"Those concerns are still valid. They're disturbing," he further underlined.

The Israeli statement said the two leaders shared a "long and warm" conversation, focused on curbing “threats from Iran,” and strengthening the alliance between the two countries.

Recently, Biden accused members of Netanyahu’s coalition of exacerbating tensions with the Palestinians, calling it “one of the most extreme” cabinets he has seen in his decades in politics.

Biden’s criticism prompted strong reaction by hawkish members of Netanyahu’s regime, with Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir mockingly declaring, “President Biden must internalize that Israel is no longer another star in the American flag.”

‘Israel not a star in US flag’: Israeli minister hits back after Biden calls Netanyahu cabinet ‘most extreme’

An Israeli minister has lashed out at US President Joe Biden after the latter stated that prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition administration has some “of the most extreme members.”

He added, “In what way am I an extremist? By handing out weapons to Israeli people so that they can defend themselves? In that, I give full backing to our soldiers and officers. I invite Biden to tour Jerusalem (al-Quds) and Hebron (al-Khalil) to see that our extremism is extreme.”

US ‘no longer our closest ally’: Ex-Israeli PM

Meanwhile, Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid has expressed concerns that Israeli relations with the US have deteriorated so much under the leadership Netanyahu, that Washington is “no longer our closest ally.”

He was further cited by Israeli media outlets as adding on Monday that Netanyahu’s cabinet is destroying the alliance with the US by trying to pass controversial judicial reforms.

“The Israeli government is leading us into this crisis, making the biggest and most dramatic changes to the regime in our history, without holding a single discussion – not even one – about the economic, security, social and political consequences of the move,” Lapid emphasized, insisting that Israeli is being “torn in two.”

“The Americans say they have no shared values with this government. It affects every aspect of US-Israel relations – their attention and their willingness to leave their comfort zone for Israeli interests. They will not do it for the most extreme government in the country’s history,” Lapid added, describing relations with the US as being at a historic low. 

US lawmaker call Israel 'racist state'

The development came just ahead of Herzog's visit to Washington and plans by a group of US lawmakers to boycott his speech before a joint session of Congress due to escalating Israeli atrocities and rights violations against local Palestinians.

Herzog’s speech — scheduled for 11 a.m. on Wednesday — is putting a focus on the divide over the Israeli regime within the Democratic Party, as some lawmakers plan to boycott the remarks.

Chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington State, described the Israeli regime as a “racist state” amid continuing efforts by a number of Democratic legislators to boycott Herzog’s address despite heavy pressure on them by Congress’ leadership.

Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib , Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman plan to boycott Herzog’s speech amid reports that other legislators may join the boycott. 

More US lawmakers join boycotting congressional speech of Israel's Pres.

More US lawmakers are joining the boycott of an upcoming speech by the Israeli president at the Congress over the regime’s rights violations against Palestinians.

Bush said in a tweet that Congress should not be giving a platform to the president of a regime “responsible for enforcing an apartheid state and rampantly abusing the rights of Palestinians.”

Meanwhile, Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of the liberal faction of the pro-Israel lobby in the US called J Street, said Biden should set conditions on the US’s large military aid to Tel Aviv to ensure it is not used “in any way that deepens the occupation that protects the settlements.”

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk