Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a meeting of the presidents of major American Jewish organizations in Jerusalem on February 18, 2024, as the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas continues.
Ronan Zwillen | Reuters
Vice President Kamala Harris and more than 30 Capitol Hill lawmakers do not plan to attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday afternoon.
This is Netanyahu’s fourth speech congressthe last one occurred in March 2015.
This year, nine months after Israel’s war with Hamas and the resulting humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Netanyahu’s speech became a lightning rod for controversy, sparking protests in Washington. approximately 200 protesters He was arrested Tuesday in connection with a sit-in at the Capitol Cannon Building.
Harris’ absence from Netanyahu’s speech was a marked departure from tradition, though not entirely unprecedented.
Normally, the vice president presides over a joint session of Congress, but Harris entered the campaign trail Wednesday as the emerging Democratic front-runner to secure the party’s presidential nomination. Former President Donald Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, also was absent from the speech “to fulfill his responsibilities as the Republican vice presidential nominee,” a Trump campaign official told NBC News.
Washington state Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, who would normally take over as Senate president pro tempore in the vice president’s absence, did not attend Netanyahu’s meeting due to ideological reasons, according to NBC News Speech.
Instead, Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Ben Cardin, D-Md., will host Netanyahu’s joint address.
“The U.S.-Israel relationship transcends politics and partisanship,” Kadin said in a statement to NBC News. “It transcends any Israeli administration or any U.S. administration.”
While Harris attributed her absence on Wednesday to travel, many of the at least 30 lawmakers so far have said they will skip the speech to boycott Netanyahu. Among them is former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., They said they would meet with the families of Hamas hostages or attend a meeting of the Middle East Peace and Security Group.
“Netanyahu should not be welcomed into the U.S. Congress. Instead, his policies in Gaza and the West Bank and his refusal to support a two-state solution should be roundly condemned,” Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders explain.
While Netanyahu is on Capitol Hill, he will meet with four members of Congress: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Majority Leader Schumer (R-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (R-N.Y.).
Netanyahu will also meet separately with President Joe Biden and Harris at the White House on Thursday. white house.
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