Benjamin Netanyahu praised Joe Biden’s “50 years of support for the state of Israel” as the two met at the White House on Thursday.
The meeting came a day after the Israeli prime minister delivered a passionate speech to parliament as thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters rallied outside.
The Israeli leader faces pressure both at home and abroad to end the Israel-Gaza war, now in its ninth month.
Mr Netanyahu said he had known Mr Biden for 40 years – and that the president had known every Israeli prime minister over the past half-century.
“From a proud Zionist Jew to a proud Irish-American Zionist, I want to thank you for 50 years of public service and 50 years of support for the state of Israel,” he said.
Mr Netanyahu also said he looked forward to working with Mr Biden “on the big issues ahead” in the coming months.
The US President joked that Golda Meir was the first Israeli Prime Minister he met, and that Yitzhak Rabin, his successor, was also there as an aide.
The meeting between the two men comes after months of tension over the war in Gaza, with Mr Biden reaching a point in May, according to his friend and former defence secretary Chuck Hagel, that “enough was enough”.
In June, Mr Netanyahu said it was “unthinkable” that the Biden administration “would not provide weapons and ammunition” to Israel.
During a press conference, national security spokesman John Kirby said Mr. Biden and Mr. Netanyahu discussed the urgent need for a hostage release deal, the possibility of the conflict spilling over into Lebanon, the threat from Iran and the need to reach “compromise” in peace talks.
While Mr Kirby added that “there is still a gap” in the US-Israel relationship, the two countries still have a “healthy relationship”.
“When I say healthy, I mean they’re not going to agree on everything,” Mr Kirby said, adding that Mr Biden was “very comfortable with the relationship he has with the prime minister”.
Mr Netanyahu also plans to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris, who is considered a leading Democratic candidate after Mr Biden announced he was withdrawing from the re-election campaign.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Mr Netanyahu defended Israel’s war in Gaza, while also trying to rally support from US politicians.
“Our enemies are your enemies,” he said, denouncing the protesters as “Iran’s useful idiots”.
The White House has pushed back against Mr Netanyahu’s description of the protesters, with Mr Kirby saying “that’s not a phrase we would use” and “does not reflect what we think” about the “primarily peaceful” protests.
Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets of Washington to accuse Mr Netanyahu of being a “war criminal”.
Their loudspeakers and chants could be heard clearly from the White House as Mr Netanyahu arrived on Thursday.
Police arrested 23 people, including five inside the parliament building.
Mr Netanyahu’s speech was sometimes met with warm applause, led mainly by Republicans.
The war in Gaza has deepened political divisions in Washington and led to infighting between Democrats and progressives who criticize US support for Israel.
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib was found sitting in the audience, holding a sign that read “committing genocide”.
The White House said Ms Harris did not attend Mr Netanyahu’s speech due to scheduling conflicts.
Instead, she spent part of the day speaking to a crowd from the black sorority Zeta Phi Beta.
Ms Harris has expressed steadfast support for Israel. However, such a stance has come at political cost to the Democratic Party.
Hundreds of thousands of protest ballots were cast against Mr Biden in the presidential primary by people who wanted him to stop sending military aid to Israel.
Some angry at his combative stance see Ms Harris as an opportunity to heal party divisions and win back votes.
Mr Netanyahu is expected to visit Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Friday.
