US Vice President Kamala Harris and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Washington | US Vice President Kamala Harris will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House this week, but will not be able to chair a joint session of the US Congress at which he would deliver a speech, according to her adviser.
“The Vice President is meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House this week. This meeting is separate from President Biden’s planned meeting. The Vice President is traveling to Indianapolis on July 24 for a previously scheduled event and will not be able to lead Prime Minister Netanyahu’s planned address to a joint session of Congress,” an aide to Vice President Harris told PTI.
“We expect the vice president to convey her position that it is time for the war to end in a way that Israel is safe, 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. And they will discuss efforts to reach an agreement on the ceasefire deal,” the aide said.
Netanyahu will deliver a speech to a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday.
This is Netanyahu’s fourth speech to the U.S. Congress, and it is the highest-profile speech ever given by a foreign leader.
The joint session is normally chaired by the vice president of the United States, but Harris would be unable to attend due to her pre-scheduled event in Indianapolis.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who had invited Netanyahu to the joint speech, criticized Harris for skipping the meeting.
“Madam Vice President, you say you want to be the leader of the free world, but you can’t bring yourself to get behind our most important strategic ally at this time. That’s not a good prospect for you. It’s not a good prospect for America. It’s not a good prospect for her party that she wants to lead,” Johnson told reporters at a news conference here.
Harris’s aides defended the decision, insisting that it should not be overly complicated, describing it as a matter of planning.
“Her trip to Indianapolis on July 24 should not be interpreted as a change in her position on Israel. This is simply a statement confirming her travel plans,” her aide told PTI in response to a question about criticism of this from her political opponents.
According to the aide, the vice president has been committed to Israel’s security throughout her career.
“That is still the case today,” said the assistant.
“Since October 7, she has been deeply engaged with Israeli officials as part of our administration’s support for Israel as it works to eliminate the Hamas threat. She has spoken regularly with President Herzog, meeting with him once. And she has met with then-War Cabinet Member Benny Gantz. She has participated in more than 20 phone calls between President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu,” the aide said.
Harris has repeatedly condemned Hamas’s brutal October 7 attack and expressed support for Israel’s right to defend itself.
“She has met with families of Americans held hostage and former hostages, including last month, when she met with a former Israeli hostage who survived sexual abuse in captivity and hosted an event at the White House highlighting Hamas’s horrific sexual violence,” the aide said.
“Through her meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, she will continue her deep engagement in the Gaza conflict. We expect her to emphasize her commitment to ensuring that Israel can defend itself against threats from Iran and Iranian-backed militias, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Hamas. She will reiterate her condemnation of Hamas’s brutal October 7 terrorist attack and horrific sexual violence. She will reiterate her deep concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the loss of innocent lives,” the aide said.
“We expect the Vice President to convey her position that it is time for the war to end in a way that Israel is safe, 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. And they will discuss efforts to reach an agreement on the ceasefire deal.
According to The New York Times, Harris will face the most politically divisive issue in American foreign policy in her first week as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes an official visit to Washington.
“Netanyahu’s trip sheds light on the views of Ms. Harris, who has emerged as a powerful voice in the war between Israel and Hamas, particularly in discussing the plight of innocent Palestinians. In a civil rights speech in Selma, Alabama, this year, Ms. Harris gained widespread attention by calling for an “immediate ceasefire” and attacking Israel for creating a “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza,” the paper said.
