House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said that he would invite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Congress if the President fails to invite Israel's leader to the White House.
“I expect the White House to invite the prime minister over for a meeting, especially with the 75th anniversary,” Speaker McCarthy publicly pressured President Biden during a press conference in Jerusalem. The Republican leader led a bipartisan delegation to Israel as the country celebrates its 75th anniversary of nationhood.
Relations between the two allies turned icy earlier this year as Biden lobbed criticism at Netanyahu for his government's contentious proposal to overhaul Israel's judiciary. The President declined to extend a “near term” invitation to Israel's PM over concerns that Netanyahu's plan lacked domestic consensus on the proposed reforms.
“Like many strong supporters of Israel, I'm very concerned. I'm concerned that they get this straight. They cannot continue down this road. I've sort of made that clear,” Biden said in March. The White House's position underscores growing tension between the two leaders, as Biden urged Netanyahu to “walk away” from his government's judicial proposal.
Prime Minister Netanyahu pressed pause on plans for judicial reform after mass protests and strikes gripped the nation but refused to bow to outside pressure to abdicate judicial reforms. Renewed efforts are expected in the coming weeks with hopes of achieving a compromise between the government and opponents of the plan.
Joined by Democratic lawmakers, McCarthy nonetheless praised the bipartisan relationship between the U.S. and Israel during the delegation's visit. In Monday's remarks to the Knesset, the House speaker spoke of the two allies' “unbreakable bond,” emphasizing America's continued support for Israel.
In a Sunday interview with Israel Hayom, McCarthy cautioned against conflating Congress with the White House. The Speaker not only rebuked Biden for failing to host Israel's recently elected leader but also defended his lack of discussion with Biden on a visit with reference to the president's behavior toward McCarthy on the debt ceiling.
“President Biden hasn't talked to me about the debt ceiling for the last 80 some days, so I think he, the prime minister, might be in good company if he treats me the same way,” McCarthy quipped.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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sure, it’s great to invite WARMONGERS HERE?
Hooray awesome