Israel’s President Isaac Herzog heads to the United States on Monday for a visit to Washington DC, where he will be welcomed to the White House by President Joe Biden, who continues to snub Israel’s head of state, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Despite the fact that Netanyahu is Israel’s longest serving prime minister, currently serving his sixth term in office, the prime minister has yet to receive an invitation to the Biden White House, where Herzog will also meet with Vice President Kamala Harris, and a range of other officials before delivering an address to a joint session of Congress.
In short, Herzog is to be given the red-carpet treatment by the Biden Administration, in contrast to its deliberate snub of Israel’s prime minister.
According to a lengthy statement from the White House Press Office, “President Biden looks forward to welcoming Israeli President Isaac Herzog to the White House on July 18.”
Herzog’s scheduled address to the Congress the next day will be the first by an Israeli president since his father, Haim Herzog, delivered remarks to a joint session of the House and Senate more than 35 years ago, GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy noted in a statement. “The world is better off when America and Israel work together,” McCarthy said.
“As Israel celebrates its 75th anniversary, the visit will highlight our enduring partnership and friendship. President Biden will reaffirm the ironclad commitment of the United States to Israel’s security.
“The two leaders will discuss opportunities to deepen Israel’s regional integration and to create a more peaceful and prosperous Middle East.
“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.
“The leaders will also discuss Russia’s deepening military relationship with Iran, and Iran’s destabilizing behavior in the region.
“Vice President Harris will meet with President Herzog on July 19 at the White House. President Herzog will be in Washington July 18-19 for meetings with a range of interagency officials and to deliver a Joint Address to Congress.”
Herzog is expected to address the Congress on Wednesday, July 19; he will meet with the vice president the same day.
Parallel to Biden’s unwillingness to meet with Israel’s head of state, a number of leftist House members are likewise expected to boycott Herzog’s address.
Among the boycotters are:
• New York Democratic Congressmember Jamaal Bowman, who represents north Bronx and parts of Westchester County;
• New York Democratic Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents Queens county;
• Minnesota Democratic Congressmember Ilhan Omar, who tweeted last week that there is “no way in hell” that she will attend the session; and
• Michigan Democratic Congressmember Rashida Tlaib, who is apparently still undecided.
Bowman told Axios last Thursday that he’s been “very outspoken regarding the treatment of Palestinians. The United States is important in ensuring accountability and uplifting the human rights of Palestinians.”
Omar told the news outlet, “The United Staes can and should use its diplomatic tools to engage with the Israeli government. But giving the current government the honor of a joint televised address sends the absolute wrong signal at the wrong time.”
Herzog is expected to travel to New York to meet with Jewish community leaders following his address to the Congress and meetings with Harris and a host of interagency officials. The president is scheduled to stay in New York for the weekend.
