Washington: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to meet with Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis when the expected 2024 presidential candidate visits Israel this week, Netanyahu said on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

DeSantis is traveling abroad to Japan, South Korea, Israel and the United Kingdom. The visit to Israel coincides with protests over Netanyahu’s plans to tighten controls on the country’s Supreme Court.

Netanyahu, asked by CBS whether he would meet with DeSantis, replied: “Of course, I’ll meet with everyone. Why not? I’ll meet with Republican governors and Democratic governors.”

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DeSantis’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Republican former president Donald Trump received the support of a number of Republican lawmakers in Florida last week. Trump launched his reelection campaign in November 2022. DeSantis has not yet declared his candidature, so the endorsements are a setback for him.

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In 2019, DeSantis travelled to Jerusalem and met with Netanyahu, referring to Florida as "the most pro-Israel state in the nation."

After strikes and large-scale protests, Netanyahu's plans for judicial reform were put on hold last month. The proposals would allow parliament to overturn many Supreme Court rulings and give the government effective control over Supreme Court judge appointments.

On CBS, when questioned about why he would not revoke the proposed changes, Netanyahu claimed that there was "broad consensus" to improve the Israeli legal system.

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Just as we don't accept that the Supreme Court can overturn any decisions made by the parliament or the government, he said, "I've actually said that I will not accept a blanket ability of the parliament to overcome judicial Supreme Court decisions."