Netanyahu is cautioned by Biden about the state of Israel's democracy, and he requests a compromise on court reform

Before his meeting with United States President Joe Biden in private, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the comments listed in the following transcript, which was issued by the Israeli Government Press Office in conjunction with the UN General Assembly on September 20.

Dear Mr. President, I thank you. Joe.

Our friendship goes a long way and may carry us a long way. I just checked, and it’s been almost 40 years since we first became friends. To see you, I’m ecstatic. I believe that our period is one that is both rich in promise and extremely dangerous.

In the G20 meeting, which you attended and presided over, you merely spoke about that wonderful promise. Israel will become a crucial node on a highway of extraordinary prosperity thanks to the economic corridor you mentioned connecting Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

But I believe it can accomplish far more than that, as do you. I believe that under your guidance, Mr. President, Israel and Saudi Arabia can reach a historic peace. And in my opinion, achieving such peace would significantly promote the Arab-Israeli conflict’s resolution, rapprochement between the Muslim world and the Jewish state, and a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

But I believe it can accomplish far more than that, as do you. I believe that under your guidance, Mr. President, Israel and Saudi Arabia can reach a historic peace.

And in my opinion, achieving such peace would significantly promote the Arab-Israeli conflict’s resolution, rapprochement between the Muslim world and the Jewish state, and a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

This is something we can accomplish. Together, I think we can change the course of history and build a brighter future for the region and beyond. Additionally, by banding together, we can face down the forces, Iran in particular, that pose the greatest threat to that future.

I applaud your ongoing efforts, Mr. President, to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons capabilities. I believe that is crucial. A credible military threat, crushing sanctions, and backing for the courageous Iranian men and women who loathe that system and who are our true allies for a brighter future can all help us achieve our shared goal.

In order to fulfill the promise and address the threat, I look forward to working with you and your team.

As I and you both said, we live in uncertain and rapidly changing times. Therefore, I would like to repeat before you, Mr. President, that Israel’s commitment to democracy is a given and won’t change.

We’ll continue upholding the values that are important to our two proud democracies. And I am convinced that by working together, we can realize the potential, counteract the challenges, and forge a more promising future for our region as well as the entire world. Mr. President, perhaps history will be made. If you take charge, we can make history.