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Israel's Rivlin to visit the White House

Israel's Rivlin to visit the White House
MENA
1 min read
Israel's President Rivlin is scheduled to meet his US counterpart later this month.
Rivlin and Biden will meet at the White House late June. [Getty Images]

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will visit the White House on 28 June to meet with his US counterpart Joe Biden, the latter's spokeswoman said on Saturday.

Rivlin, whose term ends 5 July, will be the first senior Israeli official to meet with Biden since he took office in January.

Rivlin accepted an invitation in late May when Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel as part of a Middle East tour.

The visit comes a month after more than a week of intense Israeli bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip, killing over 260 Palestinians, including 66 children.

In early June the Israeli Knesset elected Isaac Herzog, a former leader of the Labour Party, to succeed Rivlin in early July.

The Israeli presidency exerts little power, primarily meeting with party leaders after legislative elections and tasking candidates with forming governments. It is the country's prime minister who wields actual executive authority.

But the president does have the ability to grant pardons - a potentially important function as Netanyahu faces trial for alleged fraud, bribery and breach of trust.