Biden offered his counterpart a warm, cordial welcome as he said they would discuss “some of the hard issues,” including “checks and balances,” a reference to the Israeli leader’s judicial reform efforts which have been a source of significant tensions between the countries.

“Today, we’re going to discuss some of the hard issues. And that is upholding democratic values that lie at the heart of our partnership, including checks and balances in our systems, and preserving the path to a negotiated two-state solution, and ensuring that Iran never, never acquires a nuclear weapon,” Biden said.