JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington, D.C., on Monday evening ahead of his address to Congress on Wednesday. He will meet with President Biden for the first time on U.S. soil since the Hamas attack on October 7, which killed nearly 1,200 people, including 30 Americans, and resulted in the capture of about 250 hostages.

The two leaders have clashed over Israel’s handling of the war in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas is based. One point of contention is Israel’s attempt to take military control of the southern Gaza City of Rafah, a key Hamas stronghold where hostages are being held.

Caroline Glick, an American-Israeli commentator and former adviser to Netanyahu, told Digital, “Biden’s meeting with Netanyahu finds the two leaders at odds. Like most Israelis, Netanyahu remains committed to achieving Israel’s war goals: destroying Hamas as a military and political force, securing the release of all hostages, preventing future threats from Gaza, and fundamentally altering the strategic balance in northern Israel to enable the safe return of 80,000 Israeli residents who have been living in hotels since being evacuated in October.”

According to Glick, who resides in Jerusalem, “Biden seeks a cease-fire that does not achieve any of these goals. In their meeting, Biden will urge Netanyahu to abandon Israel’s war goals and accept a cease-fire. Netanyahu will push for weapons supplies to ensure Israel has what it needs to win.”

Netanyahu claims that the incursion into Rafah in May prompted Hamas to soften its negotiating position in this month’s talks about a cease-fire and hostage release.

The Israeli prime minister used generic diplomatic language about his government’s relationship with the Biden administration, which has at times appeased anti-Israel elements within its far-left base, according to experienced observers of the relationship.

Netanyahu is expected to meet Biden on Thursday to discuss the war’s objectives. The prime minister said upon departing Israel for D.C. on Monday that the meeting was “an opportunity to discuss with him how to advance in the critical months ahead the goals that are important for both our countries: achieving the release of all our hostages, defeating Hamas, confronting the terror axis of Iran, and ensuring that all of Israel’s citizens can return safely to their homes in the north and the south.”

Biden continues to push for a cease-fire to end the war and for Netanyahu to provide a concrete plan for a post-Hamas Gaza.

Digital interviewed Israelis across the country, which is roughly the size of New Jersey, about the complex dynamics of Israel-American relations and the implications of Netanyahu’s trip for both democracies, particularly as Netanyahu prepares to address Congress on Wednesday.

“Right now, I believe it’s crucial for Bibi (Netanyahu’s nickname) to address Congress to tell those who support Israel that we need help. My fear and disgust are with the Democrats, especially President Biden, who doesn’t like Israel,” said Dov Yitzchak Neal, who lives in Gush Etzion, located in the Judean mountains. The international community refers to the biblical region of Judea and Samaria as the West Bank.

Neal asserted that, as the only democracy in the Middle East, “America must support this country because it shares American values.”

Dalia, a resident of Tel Aviv, Israel’s second-largest city, echoed Neal’s sentiment.

“Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. It is an ally of the United States. The relationship and friendship between the two are critical, and I hope they will remain forever. Biden has been relatively supportive, ‘relatively’ being the operative word.” She also criticized the hard-line of Congress for their anti-Israel views.

David Binet, also from Tel Aviv, said “America needs to acknowledge that Israel is its greatest ally in the region and at the forefront of the fight against militant Islamic terrorism.”

Tzvia, encountered in the heart of the famous Jerusalem market, stated, “I don’t think Biden does enough for Israel. I believe he needs to do more for us. Be united with us against Iran, Lebanon and Gaza because, in the end, Iran will attack the United States as well, not only us. The American people are with us, most of them. … I don’t know about the government.”

On the eve of Netanyahu’s congressional address, a bipartisan group of former Israeli national security officials, diplomats, and academics sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker Mike Johnson, and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries expressing their “grave concerns” over Netanyahu’s visit.

The letter noted in part that, “This visit prioritizes his personal political survivability over our shared interests. Netanyahu has lost the support of the Israeli people and is trying to shore up his domestic coalition through a show of force in the United States.” The letter further claimed that “He remains unwilling to conceptualize a post-war plan, and continues destabilizing the national security of both Israel and the U.S.”

Biden’s earlier this month angered several pro-Israel voices with his reaction when asked about Israel’s war with Hamas.

“In his press conference, Biden turned the Israel-Hamas conflict upside down. He didn’t have a single word of condemnation for Hamas or its enablers nor did he mention that upwards of 100 hostages, including eight Americans, continue to be held by Hamas in deplorable conditions. Instead, he criticized Israel and pushed a two-state solution which, for Israel, would lead to its destruction,” David Friedman, who served as Trump’s ambassador to Israel told Digital.

Retired Israeli Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi told Digital, “When President Biden doesn’t make it clear that Hamas has attacked viciously in the massacre in Israel and that Israel has the right to defend itself and destroy Hamas completely, this empowers Hamas. The whole existence of Israel is dependent on a decisive win in Gaza. Without a decisive win, Israel will be under huge danger from all fronts. We expect President Biden to stand completely with Israel. We cannot end the war without ensuring never again there will be a terror army in Gaza.” He noted that Israel needs U.S. support to defeat Hamas and secure the release of the hostages.

The U.S. State Department referred Digital to the National Security Council, which did not immediately respond to a press query.