Five progressive US lawmakers have announced their intentions to boycott Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday.
Congresswoman Cori Bush of Missouri announced she would not be attending, saying that “Congress should not be giving a platform to the president of a country that shows no respect for human rights”.
Congressman Jamaal Bowman told Axios on Thursday that he is “probably going to be boycotting” Herzog’s speech, and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez told the Jewish Insider she is not planning to attend the event.
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar said last Wednesday, “There is no way in hell I am attending the joint session address from a president whose country has banned me and denied Rashida Tlaib the ability to see her grandma.”
Omar said that “we should not be inviting the president of Israel – a government who under its current prime minister barred the first two Muslim women elected to Congress from visiting the country – to give a joint address to Congress.”
“Herzog’s address comes on behalf of the most right-wing government in Israel’s history,” said the lawmaker.
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib also said, “In solidarity with the Palestinian people and all those who have been harmed by Israel’s apartheid government, I will be boycotting President Herzog’s joint address to Congress. I urge all Members of Congress who stand for human rights for all to join me. #BoycottApartheid.”
Herzog is set to address both houses of Congress on Wednesday, as well as to meet with US President Joe Biden at the White House.
The visit comes as Biden called the current Israeli cabinet the “most extreme” he has ever seen on a CNN interview last week. As a result, Biden has declined to invite Netanyahu to Washington over its policies.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir hit out at Biden’s remarks earlier this week saying Israel is “no longer a star” on the American flag.
