Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Jerusalem, February 18, 2024.
Ronen Zvulun | Reuters
Vice President Kamala Harris and more than 30 lawmakers on Capitol Hill do not plan to attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday afternoon.
It is Netanyahu’s fourth speech in Congressthe last of which took place in March 2015.
This year, nine months after the Israel-Hamas war and the ensuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Netanyahu’s speech became a lightning rod for controversy, sparking an outbreak of protests in Washington. Wholesale 200 protesters were arrested Tuesday for a sit-in at the Congressional Cannon House office building.
Harris’ absence from Netanyahu’s speech is a marked departure from tradition, though not entirely unprecedented.
Normally, the vice president presides over a joint session of Congress, but Harris is on the campaign trail Wednesday as the new Democratic nominee to secure the party’s presidential nomination. Former President Donald Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, is also skipping the speech because of his “duties to fulfill as the Republican nominee for Vice President,” a Trump campaign official told NBC News.
In the vice president’s absence, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., would normally take her place as Senate president pro tempore, but is not attending Netanyahu’s speech for ideological reasons, according to NBC News.
Instead, Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Ben Cardin, D-Md., will preside over Netanyahu’s joint address.
“The United States’ relationship with the State of Israel transcends politics and partisanship,” Cardin said in a statement to NBC News. “It surpasses any Israeli government or any US government.”
Although Harris attributed her absence Wednesday to travel, many of the at least 30 lawmakers have so far said they are skipping the speech to boycott Netanyahu. Several, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Instead they will meet with families of hostages held by Hamas or attend panels on peace and security in the Middle East.
“Netanyahu should not be admitted to the United States Congress. Instead, his policies on Gaza and the West Bank and his refusal to support a two-state solution should be roundly condemned,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I- Vt. , among Netanyahu’s loudest critics as the war continues.
While Netanyahu is on Capitol Hill, he will meet with the top four lawmakers in Congress: House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-L. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, DN.Y.
On Thursday, Netanyahu will also have separate meetings with President Joe Biden and Harris White House.
