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 Capitol Hill lawmakers are not planning to attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s address to a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday afternoon.
It is Netanyahu’s fourth address to Congress, the last of which took place in March 2015.
This year, nine months into the Israel-Hamas war and the resulting humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Netanyahu’s speech has become a lightning rod of controversy, triggering an eruption of protests in Washington. Roughly 200 protesters were arrested on Tuesday for a sit-in demonstration in Congress’ Cannon House Office Building.
Harris’ absence from Netanyahu’s speech is a conspicuous departure from tradition, though it is not wholly unprecedented.
Typically, the vice president presides over a joint congressional session, but Harris is on the campaign trail Wednesday as the newly minted Democratic front-runner to secure the party’s presidential nomination. Former President Donald Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, is also skipping the speech due to 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 usually take her place as the president pro tempore of the Senate, but she is not attending Netanyahu’s address 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 transcends any one Israeli government or any one U.S. administration.”
Though Harris attributed her Wednesday absence 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., said they will instead be meeting with families of hostages held by Hamas or attending a panel on Middle East peace and security.
“Netanyahu should not be welcomed into the United States Congress. On the contrary, his policies in 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 the loudest critics of Netanyahu as the war carries on.
While Netanyahu is on Capitol Hill, he will meet with the top four congressional lawmakers: House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
On Thursday, Netanyahu will also have separate meetings with President Joe Biden and Harris at the White House.