Netanyahu expected to meet Biden at UN General Assembly on Sept. 21
It remains unclear if White House meeting will follow
The long-awaited meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden will happen on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Sept. 21, the Times of Israel reported on Saturday.
It remains unclear if the two leaders will also meet at the White House in Washington D.C., a venue more befitting an official state visit between leaders of the long-time allies.
The Prime Minister’s Office and the White House denied to comment on the report, however, both had confirmed reports from last month that a meeting was planned, without specifying a time and a place.
The Biden administration took over seven months to officially invite Netanyahu, an unusually long time and widely seen as a snub and a ‘diplomatic slap in the face' of Israel's premier.
Netanyahu was also repeatedly criticized by Biden and his administration for the Israeli government’s judicial reform.
White House spokesperson John Kirby confirmed the invitation while adding this “doesn’t mean we have less concerns about the judicial reform or about the extremists in the Israeli government. We remain concerned.”
In July, Biden referred to Netanyahu’s cabinet as “one of the most extreme" he has ever seen in Israel.
In addition, his administration has voiced concern over the Israeli government’s policy toward Palestinians and measures taken in the West Bank that go against the two-state solution.
Meanwhile, opposition leader and Yesh Atid party chair Yair Lapid is set to visit the U.S. capital next week, according to a Walla! news report. He is expected to meet with senior officials in the White House and the U.S. State Department.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House on July 18.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
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