Netanyahu has been angling for an invite to the White House since he returned to office in late December. But US-Israel ties have been somewhat strained both due to the Netanyahu government’s judicial overhaul legislation, as well as comments made by the far-right elements of Netanyahu’s government.

While Barack Obama was president, Netanyahu addressed a joint sessionof Congress in 2015, bypassing Obama, in what was widely seen as an unprecedented broadside against the sitting US leader.