Just one day after what appeared to be a breakthrough phone call between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which resulted in an agreement to meet on U.S. soil, Biden hosted Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the White House on Tuesday. 

“This is a friendship I believe is just simply unbreakable, unbreakable” Biden said to the Israeli president in brief remarks at the top of Tuesday’s meeting, which Biden said will include discussion of making sure Iran “never acquires a nuclear weapon.” 

What You Need To Know

  • President Joe Biden hosted Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the White House on Tuesday, calling the two countries' friendship "unbreakable" 
  • On the eve of his meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the White House on Tuesday, President Joe Biden invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a meeting in the United States, according to his office

  • Biden has been critical of Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul the country’s judicial system, saying in March he hopes the Israeli leader “walks away” from the proposal 

  • The plan would give Netanyahu and his allies the final say in appointing the nation’s judges; it would also give Israel's parliament, which is controlled by his allies, authority to override Supreme Court decisions

“I bring a message of greeting and gratitude on behalf of the people of Israel, the entire nation of Israel – from all sides of the political spectrum – all expressing great friendship and gratitude to you,” Herzog told Biden on Tuesday. 

Herzog assured Biden that Israel’s democracy remains “sound, strong” and “resilient” while acknowledging the country is going through a fractious moment.

“We are going through pains. We are going through heated debates,” Herzog said. “We have gone through challenging moments. But I truly, truly believe and I say to you Mr. President, as I’ve said it as head of state to the people of Israel, we should always seek to find amicable consensus, and I agree with you on that as well. ”

The Oval Office meeting honored the 75th anniversary of Israel's founding. The pair, according to the White House, were set to discuss Russia’s growing military ties with Iran and ways to foster a more peaceful Middle East, including cultivating prosperity, and security for Palestinians and Israelis. 

It follows Monday’s significant news that Biden and Netanyahu agreed to meet in the United States following a phone call the PM’s office called “warm and long.” 

The call appeared to thaw monthslong tension between the two and ease speculation over when, whether and if Biden would invite the Prime Minister to meet in the U.S. 

"The Prime Minister responded positively to the invitation and it was agreed that the Israeli and U.S. teams would coordinate the details of the meeting," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

According to the White House, Biden "underscored his iron-clad, unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and condemned recent acts of terror against Israeli citizens" on his call with Netanyahu. The leaders also discussed Iran, calling the partnership between the two nations "a cornerstone in preventing Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon."

Biden also "stressed the need to take measures to maintain the viability of a two-state solution and improve the security situation in the West Bank," celebrating Israel's "willingness" to take new actions to "support Palestinian livelihoods" while expressing "concern about continued settlement growth and called on all parties to refrain from further unilateral measures.” 

Netanyahu’s office did not specify a place or time for the meeting. National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby said on Monday the pair agreed to meet “probably before the end of this year,” adding “all the details of the wheres and the whens are still being worked out.” 

The Biden administration declined to say whether Biden would host Netanyahu at the White House — as the Israeli leader has hoped — or in New York on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly.

Biden – who had not invited Netanyahu to meet in the U.S. since the Prime Minister won an unprecedented sixth term last year – has been critical of Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul the country’s judicial system. In March, Biden said he hopes the Israeli leader “walks away” from the proposal. 

The plan would give Netanyahu and his allies the final say in appointing the nation’s judges. It would also give the Knesset, Israel's parliament, which is controlled by his allies, authority to override Supreme Court decisions and limit the court’s ability to review laws.

The plan, which is currently advancing in Israel’s government after a three-month pause, has led to widespread protests in Israel. 

Biden, on Monday's call, addressed the judicial reform plan, emphasizing to Netanyahu "the need for the broadest possible consensus, and that shared democratic values have always been and must remain a hallmark of the U.S.-Israel relationship."

In an interview with CNN earlier this month, Biden called some members of Natanyahu’s cabinet “extreme,” adding Israel’s “ultimate security rests in a two-state solution.” 

After five Israeli elections in under four years, Netanyahu managed to cobble together a coalition government with a group of ultra-Orthodox and ultranationalist partners late last year.

These include far-right partners who oppose Palestinian statehood and have strong ties to the West Bank settler movement — putting them at odds with U.S. support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., visited Israel and delivered remarks at the Knesset in May. On the trip, McCarthy said Biden should invite Netanyahu to the White House soon, adding if that doesn’t happen, he would invite Israel’s leader to meet with the U.S. House. 

The White House says Herzog will be in Washington for two days during which, along with meeting with Biden, he will deliver a joint address to Congress and meet with Vice President Kamala Harris. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.