Published: 18 July 2023
Last updated: 5 March 2024
Israel’s President will try to smooth tensions at the White House and in the Capitol, but he is facing boycotts from a few progressive lawmakers.
President Isaac Herzog will this week become the second Israeli president to address Congress. His father, Chaim Herzog was the first, 35 years ago.
President Herzog will also meet President Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday, visit the United Nations and attend a festive event by the Jewish Federation of New York, which represents the largest Jewish community outside Israel.
The visit by Herzog is largely ceremonial to mark the 75th anniversary of Israel's founding but it is also a compromise designed to present Israel’s more acceptable face.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pointedly not been invited to visit the US since the formation of his far-right coalition. Biden recently described the Netanyahu government as “extreme”.
The US has criticised Israel’s handling of settler violence and of democracy protests, although it was supportive of Israel’s right to self-defence during the Jenin raids.
The Wall Street Journal this week accused Biden of treating the Netanyahu government “worse than they do the ruling mullahs in Iran”’ criticism which follows New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman’s comment last week that a downgrading in US-Israel relations is inevitable.
At least four progressive lawmakers are expected to boycott the joint session when Herzog speaks. They are Ilhan Omar, who said there would be "no way in hell" she would be in attendance, Jamaal Bowman, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, and Cori Bush. "Congress should not be giving a platform to the president of a country that shows no respect for human rights,” Bush told media.
But these boycotts are marginal compared to the 60 Democratic members of Congress who boycotted when Netanyahu spoke to Congress in 2015, criticising then-president Barack Obama over his attempts to secure a nuclear agreement with Iran.
Herzog's visit prompted both friends and opponents of Israel in the US to criticise Israel this week.
Congresswoman Representative Pramila Jayapal described Israel as a "racist state", later clarifying, "I do not believe the idea of Israel as a nation is racist. I do, however, believe that Netanyahu’s extreme right-wing government has engaged in discriminatory and outright racist policies and that there are extreme racists driving that policy within the leadership of the current government."
Long-time Israel supporters Senators Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley expressed concerns about far-right coalition partners. “We have always said that the U.S.-Israel relationship is built on shared interests and on shared values but clearly we do not share the values of someone like Ben-Gvir, who joins the Flag March through the Muslim Quarter of [Jerusalem’s Old City] chanting ‘Death to Arabs,’ and surely Smotrich’s denial of the existence of the Palestinian people does not align with our interests,” Merkley told Haaretz.
The White House said Biden will discuss Israel's regional integration and Russia's military ties with Iran when the two presidents meet.
"President Biden will stress the importance of our shared democratic values, and discuss ways to advance equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and security for Palestinians and Israelis," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
READ MORE
Biden to host Israel's president at White House on Tuesday (Reuters)
Ilhan Omar: 'No way in hell' attending Herzog speech to Congress (Jerusalem Post)
US: Three more progressive lawmakers join boycott of Israeli president's speech to Congress (Middle East Eye)
Wall Street Journal editorial slams Biden's Israel policy (Haaretz)
Top Progressive Democrat Clarifies: Israel Not Racist, Netanyahu Gov’t Has Racist Policies (Haaretz)
‘Prime Minister Netanyahu Does Not Have Both Hands on the Steering Wheel,’ Democratic Senator Says (Haaretz)
Netanyahu said to bash Israeli ambassador to US over lack of White House invite (Times of Israel)
ANALYSIS
Will Israel's president try to whitewash Netanyahu's dirty coalition in US visit? (Amir Tibon, Haaretz)
Herzog wants to focus on diplomatic issues – Iran, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon – and to devote his speech to the wonders of the US-Israel relationship. But that may prove difficult because of what will happen in Israel during his visit.
Why the US-Israel alliance endures (Avi Mayer, Jerusalem Post)
The US and Israel have common values and common interests with many other fellow democracies. This relationship seems to go much deeper.
Huwara, not judicial reform, shattered American neutrality (Oded Revivi, Ynet)
Jewish rioting in the Palestinian village after the murder of two brothers there led US President Joe Biden to become more aggressive in his approach toward Netanyahu's judicial overhaul.
RELATED STORIES
Iran gets an unwritten deal from the US as Israel gets a bear hug (Haaretz)
Photo: Israel’s President Isaac Herzog with US President Joe Biden during an official visit to the US in October (Haim Tzah / GPO)
