President Joe Biden is working to please all sides when it comes to Israel.

Amid a meeting with the country's president and a phone call with its prime minister, the White House found itself facing questions about remarks from a progressive Democrat.

BIDEN TAKES NEW ACTION ON JUNK FEES, FOOD PRICES, AND CORPORATE MERGERS

"When it comes to antisemitism, the entire Biden-Harris administration has been clear that when Israel is singled out because of anti-Jewish hate, that is unacceptable," press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said earlier this week. "We've been clear on speaking against antisemitism."

But she did not explicitly condemn the comments that sparked the controversy, made by Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) at a conference in Chicago. Pro-Palestinian protesters invaded the conference last weekend, leading Jayapal to speak out.

"We have been fighting to make it clear that Israel is a racist state," she said.

Jayapal herself quickly apologized for the comments, which the White House welcomed. But the ongoing controversy has Biden working to triangulate between celebrating Israel's status as a U.S. ally and acknowledging the concerns of progressives.

That balancing act was on display throughout the week. Biden met in person and took photos with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, while holding a phone call with right-leaning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Among Netanyahu's recent moves is a push to overhaul Israel's judicial system. The plan has divided the country, and Biden urged him not to rush it. The U.S. president also acknowledged the situation in his remarks to Herzog, according to a readout of the meeting.

The pair discussed "the need for a consensus-based approach to the judicial reform package," it said, while Biden reiterated his commitment toward negotiating a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

When asked by reporters when Netanyahu would visit the White House, Biden only said, "We're talking."

Things got more heated in Congress.

Herzog spoke before a joint session to mark Israel's 75th year of independence, becoming the first Israeli president to do so since his father, Chaim Herzog, did so in 1987.

Jayapal skipped that address along with progressive Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and Cori Bush (D-MO). Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a Jewish lawmaker who has long been critical of Israel, also declined to attend.

But all of the House's Democratic leadership rebuked Jayapal's controversial comment, and Republicans forced a vote affirming that Israel is not a "racist or apartheid state." That measure passed 412-9, with Jayapal herself supporting it.

GOPers have nonetheless accused Biden of being too accommodating toward progressives and thus not supportive enough of Israel.

"I miss having a president that unequivocally supported the Nation of Israel and welcomed Netanyahu with open arms," Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) tweeted along with a photo of Donald Trump. "The U.S.-Israel relationship was much stronger under President Trump. It's a shame President Biden is prioritizing politics over our prized partnership."

GOP Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) said Democrats have "solidified their position as the anti-Israel party."

A Gallup poll released in March found that support for Palestine has shifted among Democrats since 2016 and that their sympathies now lie more with the Palestinians than the Israelis by a measure of 49% to 38%.

But Biden's comments overall expressed firm support for Israel, as did the overwhelming House vote, even among Democratic representatives.

"This is a friendship, I believe, that’s just simply unbreakable. Unbreakable," Biden said. "And together, working to bring more stability and integration in the Middle East. And a lot of hard work. We’ve got a lot more to do, but there's progress."

Democratic strategist Michael Stratton praised Biden's work managing the situation.

"We have a very complicated relationship with the Israelis," he said. "Biden is uniquely skilled in trying to keep all parties at the table."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

On the domestic front, Stratton said the controversy is a byproduct of having a big, broad base of voters within the Democratic Party.

"The bigger the tent," he said, "the broader the voices."