U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced today that Israeli President Isaac Herzog will give a speech before a joint session of the U.S. Congress during his visit to Washington on July 19, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of Israel's founding. The invitation is a significant honor, even amid rising tensions with the nationalistic right-wing government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
McCarthy stated in a statement that Herzog is the second Israeli president to receive this honor, following in the footsteps of his late father, former Israeli President Chaim Herzog, who addressed Congress 35 years ago. He described the event as an opportunity to reaffirm the special relationship between the two countries.
McCarthy said, "The world is better when America and Israel work together. We continue to strengthen the unbreakable bonds between our democratic systems." Herzog's visit comes amidst tensions regarding the construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which most countries consider illegal. Last week, Washington objected to a decision by the Israeli government to approve the construction of around 5,700 new housing units for Jewish settlers in the West Bank.
Violence has escalated recently in the West Bank, including deadly clashes in Jenin, gunfire from Palestinians near a Jewish settlement, and attacks by settlers on Palestinian villages. The White House has not yet welcomed Benjamin Netanyahu, despite his winning a sixth term in November, seemingly indicating U.S. displeasure with his coalition government's policies, which include religious and nationalist parties. Among these policies is a controversial plan to limit the powers of Israel's Supreme Court. Netanyahu stated in an interview published today that he is no longer seeking to grant the parliament the authority to overturn Supreme Court rulings as part of the comprehensive judicial reform plan.
