Israeli President Isaac Herzog, departed overnight between Monday and Tuesday for a diplomatic visit to the United States, during which he will meet with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House and address both houses of the American Congress - the House of Representatives and the Senate - in a special session to mark Israel's 75th anniversary.
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"Even when I am in the U.S., my heart and thoughts will be with what's happening in Israel," Herzog said before his departure, as Israel was bracing for another day of disruption scheduled on Tuesday, to protest the coalition's legislative push to overhaul the judiciary.
"I am calling again on the members of the Knesset and all public figures - it is possible to reach a compromise both on the reasonableness clause and on other matters," he said. "Dialogue does not have to be at the President's Residence, it can also be behind the scenes in the Knesset. Make an effort, the cost to Israel is too high."
Herzog is scheduled to meet Biden later on Tuesday, who he describes as a true friend of Israel. "I was pleased that in his conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday, the president reiterated America's commitment to Israel's security, the struggle against Iran," he said. The phone call from Biden was the first time in four months that the Israeli and American leaders spoke after Biden openly expressed his criticism of Netanyahu's coalition and his legislative agenda. " I will also meet with the Vice President, the UN Secretary-General, and heads of Jewish organizations," Herzog said.
President Herzog's speech to Congress will be the second time in history that an Israeli president addresses a joint session of both houses, with the first time being by his father, the sixth President of Israel, Chaim Herzog, over 35 years ago.
The purpose of the state visit, according to the President's office, is to strengthen the relations and partnership between the U.S. and Israel and reflect the deep connections between the countries that can look past disagreements. He will be accompanied by his brother, Israel's Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides and Gilad Erdan, Israel's UN envoy.
Protesters against the judicial reform plan to follow President Herzog during his visit to the U.S., but they emphasized that they will not demonstrate against him.
On Monday night, U.S. President Joe Biden spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the first time in four months, and Netanyahu clarified in the conversation that he will complete the final approval of the cancellation of the reasonableness clause.
"Netanyahu updated President Biden on his intention to formulate a broad public agreement to complete the rest of the process," said the Prime Minister's office, adding that Biden invited Netanyahu to a meeting in the U.S. The White House spokesperson said that Biden emphasized the importance of reaching an agreement in Israel regarding the legislation. He also said that the conversation and meeting indicate that the U.S. is less concerned about Netanyahu's judicial reform.