President Joe Biden has reportedly invited Israeli President Isaac Herzog to the White House. The visit to the nation's capital is expected to occur when Herzog is scheduled to deliver a speech to the U.S. Congress next month, honoring Israel’s 75th anniversary.
According to Israel's Channel 12 news, U.S. sources indicate that the formal invitation will be given in the coming days.
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to receive an invitation to the White since the new coalition assumed power, this will be the second meeting between Herzog and Biden within the last year.
U.S. sources told N12 news that Netanyahu and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer have been updated on the upcoming meeting.
"I think Joe Biden is a great friend of Israel and he is the President of the United States of America, and we work with him like we work with other presidents," Netanyahu said last week during an interview with the British Sky News network. "We have confidence in America's choices."
"By the way, the relationship between the United States and Israel has never been stronger," he added.
The prime minister has spoken to Biden several times, including a phone conference in March, where the U.S. president encouraged Netanyahu to reach "broad public support" for any judicial reforms.
In the same call, Biden reaffirmed U.S. support for Israel and spoke of the democratic basis for both nations' systems of government.
In April, Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi said he was told, "If it were not for the judicial reforms, Netanyahu would already have an invitation to the White House."
Netanyahu affirmed that, despite not receiving an invitation to the White House, he has no concern about American-Israel relations.
"I think it will come," he said in reference to the lack of invitation. "But I think we also need to listen to what the President [Biden], the Foreign Minister, the Defense Minister, and Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor, said, that the alliance cannot be dismantled."
During Herzog's visit last October, he met with U.S. senior administration officials, Senate and House leadership and Jewish community leaders.
This article originally appeared on All Israel News and is reposted with permission.