Washington: The White House announced on Thursday that US President Joe Biden will meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the White House on Tuesday to discuss Russia's military ties with Iran and Israel's regional integration.

Biden will discuss how to advance equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and security for Palestinians and Israelis, according to a statement from White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre. "Biden will stress the importance of our shared democratic values, and discuss ways to advance equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and security for Palestinians and Israelis," the statement read.

Herzog's visit, which will commemorate Israel's founding in 1948 and be largely ceremonial, will take place on that occasion. A major honour in Washington is Herzog's invitation to speak before a joint session of the US House of Representatives and Senate.

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His visit comes in the wake of an uptick in violence in the occupied West Bank, where President Biden's administration has criticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's religious-nationalist administration for resuming Jewish settlement construction.

Despite being elected to an unprecedented sixth term in November, Netanyahu has yet to be welcomed at the White House. In a Sunday interview with CNN, Biden refrained from confirming whether Netanyahu would receive an invitation.

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In the interview, Biden called Netanyahu's government "one of the most extremist members of cabinets that I've seen," adding, "I think (Netanyahu) is trying to... work through his existing problems in terms of his coalition."

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Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's hard-right security minister, tweeted in response to Biden's comments on Sunday, asking, "What exactly about me is extreme?"
"President Biden needs to understand that we are no longer a star on the American flag," Ben-Gvir continued.