Vice President Kamala Harris will not attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's joint address to Congress on July 22, 2024. Instead, she will conduct a separate bilateral meeting with him at the White House during his visit to Washington D.C. this week.
According to sources familiar with Harris' plans, she has been expressing her concerns for the humanitarian damage in Gaza and believes that the US should be tougher on Netanyahu in seeking a long-term peace and two-state solution.
Harris was scheduled to attend an event for the Zeta Phi Beta sorority in Indianapolis before Netanyahu's address date was set. The conflict between her attendance at the sorority event and Netanyahu's speech allowed Harris to circumvent the political challenge of attending or boycotting his address.
In her one-on-one meeting with Netanyahu, Harris plans to reiterate her commitment to Israel's security and right to defend itself while also conveying her view that it is time for the war in Gaza to end. She will discuss ongoing negotiations on a ceasefire deal and seek a long-term peace agreement.
Netanyahu has been expressing his concern for the humanitarian damage in Gaza as well and believes that the US should be tougher on him to achieve a lasting peace. He is expected to meet with President Biden on Thursday, July 23, 2024.
Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who was scheduled to preside over Netanyahu's speech in the Senate chamber, declined to do so. Instead, Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) will preside during the address.
The Israeli prime minister is also expected to meet with congressional leaders on Wednesday, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).