Vice President Harris Denies Leading the Senate for Netanyahu’s Congress Address amid Divided Opinions on Israel’s War in Gaza

Vice President Harris Refuses to Preside over Netanyahu’s Congress Address

Washington, D.C. – In recent developments, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has reportedly declined to preside over the Senate chamber during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a joint meeting of Congress. This move is talked about by two people familiar with her plans, who chose to remain anonymous while discussing private conversations.

While Harris has chosen not to preside over the speech, she is expected to meet with Netanyahu at a separate point during his visit, according to a U.S. official. A meeting between Netanyahu and President Biden is also speculated, during the Prime Minister’s stay in Washington.

This development is significant in the light of Harris’s pursuit of the Democratic presidential nomination in the wake of Biden’s departure from the campaign. The world would be watching closely how she handles the volatile issue of Israel’s war in Gaza following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on the country. Her team indicated that she would not oversee Netanyahu’s speech even before Biden announced his decision to opt-out of a reelection bid.

Divided Opinion

The Democratic party stands deeply divided over the war, prompting several liberal lawmakers to consider boycotting Netanyahu’s speech. They express concern that the Prime Minister could use their presence to strengthen his shaky political standing in Israel’s domestic politics.

In this setting, Republicans offer a unified stand in support of Netanyahu. They lashed out at Democrats for any disapproval of the Prime Minister’s policies while House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) threatened to have anyone who disrupts the event arrested.

Who Would Preside?

With Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) also refusing to preside over the joint meeting, that role would be performed by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, according to an individual familiar with his plans. Cardin, a Jew, is set to retire at the end of the year. This commotion over the presider of the Senate highlights the unease around the speech among Democrats.

While the Democratic party largely supported an increase in military support for Israel earlier this year, they are grappling with the humanitarian crisis that unfolded in Gaza in the wake of Netanyahu’s tactics.

Skeptical Attitude

In contrast to the outward unity, White House officials have privately tried to distance themselves from Netanyahu’s visit, claiming non-involvement in the invitation, according to two individuals who have spoken to senior officials directly. Meanwhile, as vice president, Harris has occasionally emerged as the highest-ranking member of the Biden administration to criticize the manner in which Israel has waged its war against Hamas. In particular, she has highlighted the scale of civilian casualties.

In her words from a December address, “As Israel defends itself, it matters how,” Harris said. “Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. Frankly, the scale of civilian suffering and the images and videos coming from Gaza are devastating.”

Over 39,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed during Israel’s assault, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, in the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack in Israel that resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and leaving hundreds more as hostages.