Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision to skip Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress is “disappointing,” Israeli officials said.
Harris’ move to “boycott” Netanyahu’s speech on Wednesday “during a difficult war against Iran and its terror proxies is disappointing,” an anonymous Israeli official told the Telegraph.
“The free world cannot afford leaders who are unable to distinguish between good and evil,” the source said.
Harris will have to miss Netanyahu’s address due to a previously scheduled event in Indianapolis, Politico reported.
The timing for that appearance was set before the prime minister’s speech was scheduled, the outlet noted.
The vice president will instead have a bilateral meeting with Netanyahu, where she will express her view that it is time to end the Israel-Hamas war, the Telegraph reported.
Even so, her decision to skip Netanyahu’s appearance drew criticism from some Republicans.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) slammed the move as a “sign of the pro-Hamas” bias among Democrats.
What to know about President Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race:
- President Biden announced Sunday he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race — after weeks of prominent Democrats and donors calling on him to withdraw following his disastrous performance in the first presidential debate.
- In a letter posted on X Sunday afternoon, Biden admitted that it is in the “best interest of my party and country” for him to step down as the Democratic nominee.
- Biden wrote that he intends to serve out the remainder of his term and will address the country on his decision later this week.
- In a follow-up X post, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the suddenly open Democratic nomination. “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” the president wrote.
- Former President Donald Trump reacted to the news by labeling Biden the “worst president in the history of our country” in a call with CNN.
Netanyahu arrived in the US on Monday, just 24 hours after Biden announced that he was suspending his re-election bid.
“This will be an opportunity to thank him for the things he did for Israel in the war and during his long and distinguished career in public service, as senator, vice president, and president,” Netanyahu said of the outgoing president.
“Regardless of who the American people choose as their next president, Israel remains its most indispensable and strongest ally in the Middle East,” he insisted.