Benjamin Netanyahu finally scores meeting with Joe Biden, but not at the White House

WASHINGTON – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is finally getting a meeting with President Joe Biden, but not at the White House.

The White House said Friday that Biden will meet with Netanyahu on Wednesday while the two leaders are in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. It will be their first face-to-face meeting since Netanyahu returned to power last December.

Biden and the Israeli leader will discuss a range of regional issues focused on shared democratic values and a vision for a more stable prosperous region, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said. They will also compare notes on how to effectively counter and deter Iran.

The meeting, which Netanyahu had long sought, comes at a time of strained relations between the two longtime allies.

Netanyahu was reportedly irked that Biden had not invited him to the White House since his return to office. Biden met in July with Isaac Herzog, Israel's president, who holds a largely ceremonial role, and the decision to invite him instead of Netanyahu had created some awkwardness.

Tensions flared earlier this year after Biden criticized Netanyahu's plan to overhaul the nation’s judicial system and said he won’t be getting an invitation to the White House anytime soon.

Biden said he’s concerned about the state of democracy in Israel after the proposed judicial overhaul ignited street protests and public strikes. Biden also called Netanyahu's cabinet one of the most extreme that he's ever seen and said the U.S. is in regular talks with Israel's government, "trying to tamp down what is going on."

Netanyahu' office announced in August that he had finally received a White House invitation, but the White House said only that the two leaders would meet in the fall "somewhere in the United States."

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On Thursday, Biden will meet at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the White House confirmed. The meeting will be their third and comes as Biden is requesting $24 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine.

Biden has steadfastly stood behind Ukraine’s fight to defend its territory, directing billions of dollars toward that cause. He also traveled to Kyiv to visit Zelenskyy in February.

Zelenskyy, who will address the U.N. General Assembly before traveling to Washington, also is expected to meet with congressional Democrats and Republicans while he's in the nation's capital, Sullivan said.

Michael Collins and Francesca Chambers cover the White House. Follow Collins on X, formerly Twitter, @mcollinsNEWS and Chambers @fran_chambers.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UNGA: Biden to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu