Netanyahu is not Israel’s Head of State — he’s the Head of Government. President Shimon Peres is the Head of State.
That’s an important distinction, where protocol for visiting dignitaries is concerned. For instance, Canada’s Head of State is our PM Stephen Harper. Our Head of Government is HRH Queen Elizabeth II (who is also Head of 15 other States). A visit from the Queen involves a lot more pomp and circumstance than a visit from a PM.
In the USA, the President is both Head of State and Head of Government; but, that’s not a common arrangement. (AFAIK, Cuba and Uruguay are the only other countries with a combined HoS and HoG.)
Peres is a useless pimple who nobody listens to anymore. Netanyahu is the most powerful leader in Israel and is treated like trash by Obamatron.