‘Disgraceful’, ‘No way to treat an ally’ – Israeli officials, GOP blast Kamala Harris for ‘boycotting’ Netanyahu’s speech

Vice President Kamala Harris under fire in the US and Israel for refusing to preside over joint session of Congress during Netanyahu’s address.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Vice President Kamala Harris is under fire this week over her plans not to attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a special joint session of Congress Wednesday, despite the vice president’s traditional role during such sessions.

A Harris aide told Politico this week that the Vice President will meet Netanyahu during his visit to Washington, but added that she will not attend his address to Congress.

During their planned meeting, the aide said, Harris will convey “her view that it is time for the war to end in a way where Israel is secure, all hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can enjoy their right to dignity, freedom, and self-determination.”

The Vice President, who received President Joe Biden’s formal endorsement for the Democratic party’s presidential nod on Sunday, broke with parliamentary protocol by declining to attend Netanyahu’s address.

The constitutionally specified responsibilities of a vice president include serving as president of the U.S. Senate, with vice presidents traditionally presiding over the Senate in person during visits by foreign leaders.

Several Israeli officials spoke on condition of anonymity with The Telegraph to vent their frustrations, calling Harris’ decision “disappointing.”

On official accused the vice president of being “unable to distinguish between good and evil.”

“The decision of Harris to boycott the speech of the Prime Minister of Israel during a difficult war against Iran and its terror proxies is disappointing,” the official said.

“The free world cannot afford leaders who are unable to distinguish between good and evil.”

Framing Harris’ absence as a snub of the Israeli premier, a second Israeli official said her refusal to attend the address was a “shame,” and ““not a way to treat an ally.”

A number of Republicans also took aim at Harris over what some called her “boycott” of Netanyahu.

House Speaker Mike Johnson excoriated Harris, saying the vice president must be “held accountable” for her refusal to attend Netanyahu’s address.

“It is outrageous to me and inexcusable…that Kamala Harris is boycotting this joint session.”

“As president of the Senate, she is supposed to be seated next to me at the rostrum.”

In an interview with The New York Post, Johnson noted that nine years ago, then-Vice President Joe Biden also absented himself from Netanyahu’s address to Congress..

“President Biden, who was the vice president at the time, skipped that address just as our current vice president will be boycotting the speech.”

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise also took aim at the vice president over her planned absence, calling it “disgraceful.”

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman tweeted that the move revealed a deeper rift between the vice president and Israel, not merely the Netanyahu government.

“The Vice President is supposed to preside over joint sessions of Congress.
@KamalaHarris refusal to do so when the Prime Minister of Israel makes his first public address in the United States since Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, tells you everything you need to know about where she stands on Israel.”

“All the far left Jewish groups trying to justify this incredible insult are convincing no one.”

Benjamin NetanyahuCongressKamala Harris