This week's summit between President Isaac Herzog and President Joe Biden will be the second such meeting between the two in this Hebrew year. This is a badge of honor for the Jewish state and for Herzog himself. Herzog will also address a joint meeting of Congress, which is yet another sign of distinction for our country.
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But for all the pomp and circumstance of this visit, there is still an elephant in the room: The US leader has yet to invite the head of the Israeli government, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite his return to office in late 2022. One could have forgiven Biden for showing such reluctance in the first several months of Netanyahu's term, as Israel's judicial reform crisis began to unfold and thousands of Israelis took to the streets. Likewise, Biden's request to slow down the reform and reach a broad consensus was understandable. Netanyahu even announced that he was suspending the overhaul, essentially heeding the US leader's request, only to see Biden ignore this gesture.
The only thing that has remained on the Knesset docket from the initial judicial restructuring effort is the bill that prevents courts from striking down governmental decisions that are deemed unreasonable. Even the Opposition agreed to some version of this bill, meaning that Biden's request for broad consensus has also been met. Herzog, who presided over the reconciliation talks, can attest to this more than anyone else since he knows exactly what kind of understandings were reached.
Netanyahu even accommodated Biden by approving measures to bolster the Palestinian Authority – despite his government comprising hardliners like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. That step was not reciprocated by the administration.
Even as Uncle Joe boycotts the Israeli prime minister and trashes him in interviews, he continues to meet with leaders whose lack of democratic bona fides is much worse than the alleged undemocratic nature of Netanyahu (that claim has been used against him by political rivals as a last resort after all other attacks had failed). In other words, Biden's cold shoulder to Netanyahu is no longer based on actual policy differences.
Perhaps this approach stems from a more emotional reason, or perhaps from political motives. Biden needs the big Jewish Democratic donors who dislike the Israeli leader and have been very attuned to the protest leaders in Israel. Herzog's above-the-fray role should be used to put an end to this ugly game.
Netanyahu is the prime minister of Israel. He was elected in a democratic election and stands at the helm of a country that Biden claims to have been committed to for forty years. Herzog should tell Biden that if he is a "Zionist president" as Biden likes to describe himself, he should know that refusing to invite Netanyahu hurts Zionism because the prime minister – whether he likes it or not – currently stands at the helm of the Zionist enterprise.
Herzog must also make it clear that the boycott is not only an affront to Netanyahu but also to millions of Israelis who voted for him and feel that he represents them. In fact, by not extending an invitation, Biden is hurting Israel and undermining its security, because when Nasrallah brandishes his weapons and Hamas rears its head, they do so because they pick up an erosion of US support for the Jewish state.
In other words, during their tête-à-tête – or perhaps even in a larger forum – the Israeli president must tell his US counterpart that his approach hurts Israel. Changing Biden's posture should be Herzog's overarching mission as he embarks on his Washington tour.
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