Israeli President Isaac Herzog called on the U.S. to act "forcefully" against Iran's efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon and reaffirmed his support for the independence of Israel's judiciary on Wednesday.
Herzog delivered a speech before a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, where he praised the long-standing friendship between the U.S. and Israel before addressing important points of policy.
Welcomed to the chamber with raucous applause, the Israeli leader urged action on Iran while also acknowledging the widespread protests within Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans for judicial reforms.
"Allowing Iran to become a nuclear threshold state – whether by omission or by diplomatic commission – is unacceptable. The world cannot remain indifferent to the Iranian regime's call to wipe Israel off the map. Tolerating this call and Iran's measures to realize it is an inexcusable moral collapse," Herzog said in his speech before a joint session of Congress.
"Backed by the free world, Israel and the United States must act forcefully together to prevent Iran's fundamental threat to international security," he added.
Herzog continued to emphasize his support for Israeli democracy, even as Netanyahu's efforts to reform the country's judiciary system have sparked widespread and disruptive protests. The proposed reforms, backed by the prime minister and his allies, aim to limit the courts' powers, including their authority to strike down government decisions they consider "unreasonable."
"I will say to you, our friends, in English, what I have said to my people, to my sisters and brothers, in Hebrew: as a nation, we must find the way to talk to each other no matter how long it takes. As head of state, I will continue doing everything to reach a broad public consensus, and to preserve, protect and defend the State of Israel's democracy," Herzog said.
President Biden has not held back in his criticisms of Netanyahu's efforts, but despite pressure from Republicans to invite Netanyahu to the U.S., the White House has not extended an invitation.
Biden reached out to the Israeli leader on Monday to arrange a meeting sometime this year, but specific details about the meeting have not been finalized yet.
On Tuesday, Biden told Herzog that he had conveyed to Netanyahu that "America's commitment to Israel is firm and ironclad."
