McCarthy to Invite Netanyahu to U.S. if Biden Doesn't

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy indicated he would be willing to go over President Joe Biden's head to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington D.C. amid weeks of simmering tensions between the United States and its closest Middle Eastern ally.

In Jerusalem on Monday for a meeting between Netanyahu and top leaders in the Knesset, McCarthy, a California Republican, told reporters on the ground he personally intended to invite Netanyahu to Washington soon if Biden did not—presenting a new escalation in foreign policy rifts between the White House and the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Biden has previously been critical of the Israeli government and Netanyahu's decision to pursue judicial reforms in the country, which some believe are an attempt by Netanyahu's conservative government to topple the liberal majority on the nation's highest court.

The debate has sparked heated protests throughout the country in recent weeks amid critic's concerns that the move would give Netanyahu's government the power to override Supreme Court rulings that deem their favored legislation unconstitutional.

In late March, Biden criticized the proposed changes in comments to reporters, saying the Israeli government can't "continue down this road," stressing that he had no plans to invite Netanyahu to the White House "in the near term," sparking concerns from conservatives of alienating the country.

Shortly after Biden's remarks, McCarthy announced he and a bipartisan delegation of 20 lawmakers would travel to Israel to address the Knesset, setting him on a direct collision with the Biden administration.

"America is grateful for our friendship with Israel," McCarthy said in his address to the Knesset. "We are a better nation because of it. And we must never shy away from defending it."

Newsweek has reached out to the White House via email for comment. It also reached out to a McCarthy spokesperson via email for comment.

The visit—and McCarthy's comments—come amid a tumultuous time in the two nations' relationship.

Israel has also faced scrutiny amid escalating violence between themselves and neighboring countries like Lebanon and Palestine, the latter of whom has long been mired in a territorial dispute with Israel.

Last month, the Israel Defense Forces conducted strikes against southern Lebanon in response to a cross-border rocket barrage some believed to be tied to Gaza-based group Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements, sparking fears from the United Nations of worsening relations in the region.

Israeli officials later claimed to reporters that the Biden administration ultimately blocked the UN Security Council from issuing a statement condemning the uptick in violence, reportedly because of concerns that such a statement would draw a false equivalence between Israel defending itself from attacks from what it deemed to be a terrorist group.

"We condemn the launch of rockets from Lebanon and Gaza at Israel," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters on April 6. "Our commitment to Israel's security is ironclad and we recognize that Israel has the legitimate right to defend itself against all forms of aggression."

Days after the strikes, Israeli police reportedly stormed Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque where they violently clashed with Muslim worshippers celebrating Ramadan just hours after authorities arrested hundreds of Palestinians who were there observing the Islamic holy month.

The State Department notably declined to condemn the arrests at the time, however, with Patel telling reporters it was intent on "upholding the historic status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem," adding any unilateral action that "jeopardizes the status quo to us is unacceptable."

"We call for restraint, coordination and calm during the holiday season," he said.