The American Public's Views on Israel Are Undergoing a Profound Shift. Washington Hasn't Caught Up
Yasmeen Serhan
Wed, July 19, 2023
ISRAEL-US-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY
Flags of Israel and the U.S. are hung up along streets by the Jerusalem municipality on July 10, 2022, ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Israel.
Democrats are increasingly divided on Israel as its president visits WashingtonYasmeen Serhan
Wed, July 19, 2023
ISRAEL-US-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY
Flags of Israel and the U.S. are hung up along streets by the Jerusalem municipality on July 10, 2022, ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Israel.
Credit - Ahmad Gharabli—AFP via Getty Images
When Israeli President Isaac Herzog addresses a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, there will be some notable absences. At least five progressive U.S. lawmakers, including Reps. Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, and Cori Bush, confirmed that they will be skipping Herzog’s speech in protest of Israel’s policies toward Palestinians in the occupied territories, which some Democrats recently described as “racist” and akin to apartheid.
While these Democrats may be in the minority among their congressional peers, their positions are more mainstream than the D.C. establishment might suggest. Polls this year have shown that the gap between the American public and those elected to represent them is widening when it comes to U.S. policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly among Democrats. This year, for the first time, an annual Gallup survey found that Democrats’ sympathies lie more with Palestinians than Israelis by a margin of 49% to 38%. The survey found that sympathy toward Palestinians among U.S. adults is at a new high of 31%, while the proportion not favoring either side is at a new low of 15%. That’s a remarkable shift from only a decade ago, when sympathy toward Palestinians stood at just 12%. During that same period, sympathy toward Israelis has declined from 64% to 54%.
Other recent surveys, carried out by researchers at the University of Maryland and Ipsos, reveal similarly noteworthy trends. A new poll published on the eve of Herzog’s address found that, in the absence of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, three-quarters of Americans would choose a democratic Israel that is no longer Jewish over a Jewish Israel that denies full citizenship and equality to non-Jews. The U.S. and the wider international community are still officially committed to a two-state solution, but many experts believe it’s no longer viable as a result of Israeli settlement expansion.
Americans are also increasingly less likely to describe Israel as a democracy. When asked to describe the way Israel looks in a poll conducted between March and April, only 9% of respondents chose “a vibrant democracy,” a common descriptor for Israel among U.S. officialdom. The rest chose “a flawed democracy” (13%), “a state with restricted minority rights” (7%), and “a state with segregation similar to apartheid” (13%). Some 56% responded with “I don’t know.” Shibley Telhami, a Middle East expert at the University of Maryland who conducted the poll, tells TIME that the percentage of “don’t knows” was surprising. He says that this suggests that those polled “are either uncertain or they’re uncomfortable answering.”
These shifting opinions coincide with a particularly tense period in Israel, which over the past year has been marked by unprecedented and sustained protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing government’s efforts to weaken the judiciary, the sole administrative check on their power. It has also featured an uptick in violence in the occupied Palestinian territories, which have been subject to deadly raids and, in the case of Huwara, what one Israeli general described as a “pogrom” carried out by Israeli settlers. The violence has resulted in the killing of at least 174 Palestinians this year, according to the U.N., putting 2023 on course to become the deadliest for Palestinians on record since the body began recording the number of fatalities in 2005. At least 23 Israelis have been killed in the occupied territories during the same period.
While lawmakers such as Tlaib (the first Palestinian American woman elected to Congress) and Omar have long been critical of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians—they were banned from visiting the country in 2019—disquiet over Israel’s rightward shift has been growing among Democratic lawmakers in recent years, including among traditionally pro-Israel politicians on Capitol Hill. “We have always said that the U.S.-Israel relationship is built on shared interests and on shared values, but clearly we do not share the values of someone like Ben-Gvir,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a leading Democratic lawmaker on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Israeli newspaper Haaretz following a recent visit to the country, referencing one of Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners.
Read More: Biden’s Hidden Birthday Message for Israel
And it’s not just politicians. Noura Erakat, an associate professor at Rutgers University and author of Justice For Some: Law and the Question of Palestine, tells TIME that there has been a “serious shift” across academic associations, the arts, and other social justice movements when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “There is now clear and robust support and understanding of Palestine as a freedom struggle,” she says.
There has also been a notable shift within the American Jewish community, where the subject of Israel has become more polarizing in recent years. A 2021 Pew survey found that while more than half (58%) of American Jews express an attachment toward Israel, markedly fewer approve of its government’s leadership (40%) or its efforts toward achieving peace with the Palestinians (33%).
But this disquiet has yet to manifest itself within Washington—a reality that was best exemplified in recent days by the uproar over comments made by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the Democratic chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, who came under fire for referring to Israel as a “racist state.” Jayapal ultimately walked back her comments—explaining that she doesn’t believe the “idea” of Israel as a nation is racist, but that the discriminatory policies perpetuated by its government are—though not before being denounced by congressional Republicans (some of whom dubbed the remarks “anti-Semitic”) and many of her own Democratic colleagues. A resolution affirming that Israel “is not a racist or apartheid state” was passed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, with 412 lawmakers in support and 9 against.
Nor has this shift been acknowledged within the White House. Despite President Joe Biden’s criticism of Netanyahu’s governing coalition—one composed of ultranationalist and pro-settlement leaders that the President described as “one of the most extremist” he’s seen—his administration has resisted calls to leverage U.S. aid to Israel or to ensure that U.S. funding isn’t used in the military detention of Palestinian children. On Monday, Biden extended an invitation to Netanyahu for a face-to-face meeting in the U.S. after months of delays, though it is as yet unclear if such a meeting would take place in the White House.
U.S. lawmakers are undoubtedly aware of this widening gap. “They would have to have their heads buried in the sand not to see a world changing around them,” says Erakat. But American public opinion doesn’t always dictate U.S. policy, nor is this issue as front of mind as more pressing foreign policy concerns, such as the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“Obviously, policymaking is not just about public opinion,” says Yousef Munayyer, a senior fellow at the Arab Center in Washington, D.C. and an expert on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “In the United States in particular, it’s about elections, it’s about interest groups, and it’s also about American geopolitical interests. And all of those things coming together have made it easier for American policymakers to hold on to the old pro-Israel policies than to be responsive to a base that is increasingly calling for change.”
The question is how long that remains sustainable. “This is going to continue to shake the U.S.-Israel relationship,” Munayyer adds. “When exactly that translates into policy change is not something we can tell.”
When Israeli President Isaac Herzog addresses a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, there will be some notable absences. At least five progressive U.S. lawmakers, including Reps. Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, and Cori Bush, confirmed that they will be skipping Herzog’s speech in protest of Israel’s policies toward Palestinians in the occupied territories, which some Democrats recently described as “racist” and akin to apartheid.
While these Democrats may be in the minority among their congressional peers, their positions are more mainstream than the D.C. establishment might suggest. Polls this year have shown that the gap between the American public and those elected to represent them is widening when it comes to U.S. policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly among Democrats. This year, for the first time, an annual Gallup survey found that Democrats’ sympathies lie more with Palestinians than Israelis by a margin of 49% to 38%. The survey found that sympathy toward Palestinians among U.S. adults is at a new high of 31%, while the proportion not favoring either side is at a new low of 15%. That’s a remarkable shift from only a decade ago, when sympathy toward Palestinians stood at just 12%. During that same period, sympathy toward Israelis has declined from 64% to 54%.
Other recent surveys, carried out by researchers at the University of Maryland and Ipsos, reveal similarly noteworthy trends. A new poll published on the eve of Herzog’s address found that, in the absence of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, three-quarters of Americans would choose a democratic Israel that is no longer Jewish over a Jewish Israel that denies full citizenship and equality to non-Jews. The U.S. and the wider international community are still officially committed to a two-state solution, but many experts believe it’s no longer viable as a result of Israeli settlement expansion.
Americans are also increasingly less likely to describe Israel as a democracy. When asked to describe the way Israel looks in a poll conducted between March and April, only 9% of respondents chose “a vibrant democracy,” a common descriptor for Israel among U.S. officialdom. The rest chose “a flawed democracy” (13%), “a state with restricted minority rights” (7%), and “a state with segregation similar to apartheid” (13%). Some 56% responded with “I don’t know.” Shibley Telhami, a Middle East expert at the University of Maryland who conducted the poll, tells TIME that the percentage of “don’t knows” was surprising. He says that this suggests that those polled “are either uncertain or they’re uncomfortable answering.”
These shifting opinions coincide with a particularly tense period in Israel, which over the past year has been marked by unprecedented and sustained protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing government’s efforts to weaken the judiciary, the sole administrative check on their power. It has also featured an uptick in violence in the occupied Palestinian territories, which have been subject to deadly raids and, in the case of Huwara, what one Israeli general described as a “pogrom” carried out by Israeli settlers. The violence has resulted in the killing of at least 174 Palestinians this year, according to the U.N., putting 2023 on course to become the deadliest for Palestinians on record since the body began recording the number of fatalities in 2005. At least 23 Israelis have been killed in the occupied territories during the same period.
While lawmakers such as Tlaib (the first Palestinian American woman elected to Congress) and Omar have long been critical of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians—they were banned from visiting the country in 2019—disquiet over Israel’s rightward shift has been growing among Democratic lawmakers in recent years, including among traditionally pro-Israel politicians on Capitol Hill. “We have always said that the U.S.-Israel relationship is built on shared interests and on shared values, but clearly we do not share the values of someone like Ben-Gvir,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a leading Democratic lawmaker on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Israeli newspaper Haaretz following a recent visit to the country, referencing one of Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners.
Read More: Biden’s Hidden Birthday Message for Israel
And it’s not just politicians. Noura Erakat, an associate professor at Rutgers University and author of Justice For Some: Law and the Question of Palestine, tells TIME that there has been a “serious shift” across academic associations, the arts, and other social justice movements when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “There is now clear and robust support and understanding of Palestine as a freedom struggle,” she says.
There has also been a notable shift within the American Jewish community, where the subject of Israel has become more polarizing in recent years. A 2021 Pew survey found that while more than half (58%) of American Jews express an attachment toward Israel, markedly fewer approve of its government’s leadership (40%) or its efforts toward achieving peace with the Palestinians (33%).
But this disquiet has yet to manifest itself within Washington—a reality that was best exemplified in recent days by the uproar over comments made by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the Democratic chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, who came under fire for referring to Israel as a “racist state.” Jayapal ultimately walked back her comments—explaining that she doesn’t believe the “idea” of Israel as a nation is racist, but that the discriminatory policies perpetuated by its government are—though not before being denounced by congressional Republicans (some of whom dubbed the remarks “anti-Semitic”) and many of her own Democratic colleagues. A resolution affirming that Israel “is not a racist or apartheid state” was passed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, with 412 lawmakers in support and 9 against.
Nor has this shift been acknowledged within the White House. Despite President Joe Biden’s criticism of Netanyahu’s governing coalition—one composed of ultranationalist and pro-settlement leaders that the President described as “one of the most extremist” he’s seen—his administration has resisted calls to leverage U.S. aid to Israel or to ensure that U.S. funding isn’t used in the military detention of Palestinian children. On Monday, Biden extended an invitation to Netanyahu for a face-to-face meeting in the U.S. after months of delays, though it is as yet unclear if such a meeting would take place in the White House.
U.S. lawmakers are undoubtedly aware of this widening gap. “They would have to have their heads buried in the sand not to see a world changing around them,” says Erakat. But American public opinion doesn’t always dictate U.S. policy, nor is this issue as front of mind as more pressing foreign policy concerns, such as the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“Obviously, policymaking is not just about public opinion,” says Yousef Munayyer, a senior fellow at the Arab Center in Washington, D.C. and an expert on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “In the United States in particular, it’s about elections, it’s about interest groups, and it’s also about American geopolitical interests. And all of those things coming together have made it easier for American policymakers to hold on to the old pro-Israel policies than to be responsive to a base that is increasingly calling for change.”
The question is how long that remains sustainable. “This is going to continue to shake the U.S.-Israel relationship,” Munayyer adds. “When exactly that translates into policy change is not something we can tell.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog is expected to give an address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday.
Alexander Nazaryan
·Senior White House Correspondent
Updated Wed, July 19, 2023
WASHINGTON — The visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Washington this week is exposing the growing divisions between moderate and progressive Democrats when it comes to the Jewish state.
Herzog is the top opposition figure in the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has tried to institute highly unpopular reforms that would curb the power of the generally liberal judiciary branch.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog speaks to the media following a meeting with President Biden at the White House on Tuesday. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Violence between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank is also escalating, with younger militants taking advantage of the Palestinian Authority’s eroding credibility among a stateless and impoverished people.
Herzog met with President Biden on Tuesday. On Wednesday he will give an address to a joint session of Congress. His appearance on Capitol Hill is proving especially divisive, revealing the widening gulf among Democrats.
Read more from Yahoo News: Israel’s democracy crisis explained
A progressive boycott
Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., at a press conference in Washington on June 22.
(Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Just Majority)
Several members of the informal progressive House caucus known as "the Squad" have said they would boycott Herzog’s speech on Wednesday. Squad members also boycotted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he addressed Congress last month.
The boycott of Herzog’s address is being led by Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, both of whom are Muslim. Tlaib is of Palestinian descent.
“The Israeli government is responsible for enforcing an apartheid state and rampantly abusing the rights of Palestinians. Congress should not be giving a platform to the President of a country that shows no respect for human rights. I will not be attending his joint address,” tweeted Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri, who has joined the boycott. So have Reps. Jamaal Bowman and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
On Saturday, Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called Israel a “racist state” during a gathering of activists in Chicago. The remark caused widespread outrage, including from some Democrats, and Jayapal issued an apology the following day.
Read more from our partners: Israeli leader’s visit sparks internal Democratic fight
Several members of the informal progressive House caucus known as "the Squad" have said they would boycott Herzog’s speech on Wednesday. Squad members also boycotted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he addressed Congress last month.
The boycott of Herzog’s address is being led by Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, both of whom are Muslim. Tlaib is of Palestinian descent.
“The Israeli government is responsible for enforcing an apartheid state and rampantly abusing the rights of Palestinians. Congress should not be giving a platform to the President of a country that shows no respect for human rights. I will not be attending his joint address,” tweeted Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri, who has joined the boycott. So have Reps. Jamaal Bowman and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
On Saturday, Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called Israel a “racist state” during a gathering of activists in Chicago. The remark caused widespread outrage, including from some Democrats, and Jayapal issued an apology the following day.
Read more from our partners: Israeli leader’s visit sparks internal Democratic fight
Republicans see an opening
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks at the Christians United for Israel summit on Monday.
(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Although most American Jews are Democrats, it is Republicans who are now more closely affiliated with Israel, especially since Netanyahu is a close ally of former President Donald Trump.
Republicans seized on the anti-Israel sentiment on Capitol Hill.
“It’s time to censure the Squad and get antisemitism out of America for good,” former South Carolina Gov. and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, said at a meeting of pro-Israel Christians in Washington on Monday.
On Tuesday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., planned to hold a vote on a pro-Israel measure that is clearly intended to force Democrats to take a stance on a divisive issue.
“If there’s anybody in the [Democratic Party] that does not think that antisemitism is bad, then I think this puts them on the record,” said Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, who introduced the measure.
Read more from our partners: Dems grit their teeth to get through another awkward Israel dustup
Although most American Jews are Democrats, it is Republicans who are now more closely affiliated with Israel, especially since Netanyahu is a close ally of former President Donald Trump.
Republicans seized on the anti-Israel sentiment on Capitol Hill.
“It’s time to censure the Squad and get antisemitism out of America for good,” former South Carolina Gov. and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, said at a meeting of pro-Israel Christians in Washington on Monday.
On Tuesday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., planned to hold a vote on a pro-Israel measure that is clearly intended to force Democrats to take a stance on a divisive issue.
“If there’s anybody in the [Democratic Party] that does not think that antisemitism is bad, then I think this puts them on the record,” said Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, who introduced the measure.
Read more from our partners: Dems grit their teeth to get through another awkward Israel dustup
Biden stands firm
Herzog and Biden in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
(Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Biden has moved to the left on many domestic issues. But when it comes to foreign policy, he remains a mainstream Democrat who has tried to strengthen long-standing bonds instead of upending them.
That has held true when it comes to Israel. “America’s commitment to Israel is firm and it is ironclad,” Biden told reporters as his Oval Office meeting with Herzog was about to begin.
Biden spoke with Netanyahu on Monday, finally extending him a White House invitation.
But the White House has also been hesitant to condemn progressives with different views. Asked by Yahoo News if Rep. Bush had lapsed into antisemitism by calling Israel an “apartheid state,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre gave a less than firm answer that downplayed differences between the White House and congressional Democrats.
"I cannot speak to other congressional members in the House,” she said.
Read more from our partners: Biden takes fire from both sides ahead of Herzog meeting
Biden has moved to the left on many domestic issues. But when it comes to foreign policy, he remains a mainstream Democrat who has tried to strengthen long-standing bonds instead of upending them.
That has held true when it comes to Israel. “America’s commitment to Israel is firm and it is ironclad,” Biden told reporters as his Oval Office meeting with Herzog was about to begin.
Biden spoke with Netanyahu on Monday, finally extending him a White House invitation.
But the White House has also been hesitant to condemn progressives with different views. Asked by Yahoo News if Rep. Bush had lapsed into antisemitism by calling Israel an “apartheid state,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre gave a less than firm answer that downplayed differences between the White House and congressional Democrats.
"I cannot speak to other congressional members in the House,” she said.
Read more from our partners: Biden takes fire from both sides ahead of Herzog meeting
Rep. McCollum skips Israeli president’s Congress speech
Cheryl Diaz Meyer/Star Tribune/TNS
Hunter Woodall, Star Tribune
Wed, July 19, 2023
WASHINGTON – The longest serving member of Minnesota's congressional delegation said Wednesday she is not attending Israeli President Isaac Herzog's speech to Congress.
Rep. Betty McCollum, the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, has been a critic of Israel's treatment of Palestinians during her time in Congress.
"Due to a longstanding commitment with tribal leaders which had to be rescheduled because of an added Interior Appropriations markup this week, I am unable [to] attend the joint address in person," McCollum said in a statement. "I will be reading the transcript of the speech in its entirety to stay apprised of the issues raised."
Her decision comes after Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar and a small number of other progressives said earlier that they are boycotting Herzog's speech. The rest of Minnesota's congressional delegation attended the joint address.
McCollum's statement came after she voted present on a House resolution focused on Israel on Tuesday. The resolution, that passed with 412 yes votes, said "Israel is not a racist or apartheid state," that "Congress rejects all forms of antisemitism and xenophobia," and also added "the United States will always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel."
Omar was among the nine Democrats to vote no on the resolution. The effort was voted on after the Congressional Progressive Caucus leader Rep. Pramila Jayapal called Israel "a racist state." Jayapal apologized and walked back her comment, but her words caused major congressional tensions ahead of Herzog's speech.
Progressive Democrats protest Israeli president’s address to US Congress
Joan E Greve
Tue, July 18, 2023
Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
Democratic divisions over Israel were on stark display on Tuesday, as lawmakers prepared to welcome Isaac “Bougie” Herzog, the president of Israel, for an address to a joint session of Congress.
Several progressive House members, including Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, intend to boycott Herzog’s speech on Wednesday to protest against the treatment of Palestinians under the government of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Related: Why progressives like AOC are right to boycott Israeli President Isaac Herzog | Peter Beinart
“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,” Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat of Michigan, said on Monday. “I urge all members of Congress who stand for human rights for all to join me.”
House Democratic leaders have struck a much more conciliatory tone toward Herzog, embracing the opportunity to hear from the Israeli president.
“President Bougie Herzog has been a force for good in Israeli society,” Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, said on Friday. “I look forward to welcoming him with open arms when he comes to speak before Congress.”
The tension between House Democrats reached a boiling point over the weekend, after Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, described Israel as a “racist state” while speaking at a conference in Chicago.
Jayapal clarified her comments on Sunday, saying: “I do not believe the idea of Israel as a nation is racist. I do, however, believe that Netanyahu’s extreme rightwing government has engaged in discriminatory and outright racist policies and that there are extreme racists driving that policy within the leadership of the current government.”
The Congressional Progressive Caucus chair, Pramila Jayapal, described Israel as a ‘racist state’ before clarifying her comment. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
House Republicans swiftly attacked Jayapal’s comments, calling on Democratic leaders to join them in rejecting the congresswoman’s criticism of Israel.
“I think if the Democrats want to believe that they do not have a conference that continues to make antisemitic remarks, they need to do something about it,” the House Republican speaker, Kevin McCarthy, said on Monday.
Amid the backlash, more than 40 House Democrats signed on to a statement lambasting Jayapal’s “unacceptable” remarks and praising Israel as “the only vibrant, progressive, and inclusive democracy in the region”. House Democratic leaders also issued a joint statement on Sunday denouncing the characterization of Israel as a “racist state”.
“As House Democratic leaders, we strongly support Israel’s right to exist as a homeland for the Jewish people,” the leaders said. “We are also firmly committed to a robust two-state solution where Israel and the Palestinian people can live side by side in peace and prosperity.”
Although the joint statement did not mention Jayapal by name, progressives balked at the leaders’ rejection of one of their colleagues in an effort to quiet criticism from Republicans.
“I am proud to call [Jayapal] a colleague, a friend and our CPC Chair,” Omar said on Tuesday on Twitter. “I am also deeply concerned about the shaming – often of women of color – when they speak out about human rights violations happening in Palestine and Israel, especially when similar concern is not expressed for the lives being lost and families being torn apart.”
House Republicans seized the opportunity to highlight the Democratic divisions over Israel. The House Republican majority leader, Steve Scalise, announced on Monday that the chamber would vote on Tuesday on a resolution asserting “the state of Israel is not a racist or apartheid state”.
“It should be an easy vote,” Scalise said on Twitter. “Will [Democrats] stand with our ally or capitulate to the anti-Semitic radicals in their party?”
As his congressional allies clashed over Herzog’s visit, Joe Biden met with the Israeli president in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
“This is a friendship, I believe, that’s just simply unbreakable,” Biden told Herzog. “America’s commitment to Israel is firm, and it is ironclad.”
A day before his meeting with Herzog, Biden spoke to Netanyahu over the phone, and the two leaders agreed to meet in the coming months. But a spokesperson for the national security council, John Kirby, would not specify whether that meeting will take place at the White House, as Netanyahu has repeatedly requested.
“They will meet probably before the end of this year,” Kirby told reporters on Monday. “And all the details of the ‘wheres’ and the ‘whens’ are still being worked out.”
Cheryl Diaz Meyer/Star Tribune/TNS
Hunter Woodall, Star Tribune
Wed, July 19, 2023
WASHINGTON – The longest serving member of Minnesota's congressional delegation said Wednesday she is not attending Israeli President Isaac Herzog's speech to Congress.
Rep. Betty McCollum, the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, has been a critic of Israel's treatment of Palestinians during her time in Congress.
"Due to a longstanding commitment with tribal leaders which had to be rescheduled because of an added Interior Appropriations markup this week, I am unable [to] attend the joint address in person," McCollum said in a statement. "I will be reading the transcript of the speech in its entirety to stay apprised of the issues raised."
Her decision comes after Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar and a small number of other progressives said earlier that they are boycotting Herzog's speech. The rest of Minnesota's congressional delegation attended the joint address.
McCollum's statement came after she voted present on a House resolution focused on Israel on Tuesday. The resolution, that passed with 412 yes votes, said "Israel is not a racist or apartheid state," that "Congress rejects all forms of antisemitism and xenophobia," and also added "the United States will always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel."
Omar was among the nine Democrats to vote no on the resolution. The effort was voted on after the Congressional Progressive Caucus leader Rep. Pramila Jayapal called Israel "a racist state." Jayapal apologized and walked back her comment, but her words caused major congressional tensions ahead of Herzog's speech.
Progressive Democrats protest Israeli president’s address to US Congress
Joan E Greve
Tue, July 18, 2023
Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
Democratic divisions over Israel were on stark display on Tuesday, as lawmakers prepared to welcome Isaac “Bougie” Herzog, the president of Israel, for an address to a joint session of Congress.
Several progressive House members, including Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, intend to boycott Herzog’s speech on Wednesday to protest against the treatment of Palestinians under the government of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Related: Why progressives like AOC are right to boycott Israeli President Isaac Herzog | Peter Beinart
“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,” Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat of Michigan, said on Monday. “I urge all members of Congress who stand for human rights for all to join me.”
House Democratic leaders have struck a much more conciliatory tone toward Herzog, embracing the opportunity to hear from the Israeli president.
“President Bougie Herzog has been a force for good in Israeli society,” Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, said on Friday. “I look forward to welcoming him with open arms when he comes to speak before Congress.”
The tension between House Democrats reached a boiling point over the weekend, after Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, described Israel as a “racist state” while speaking at a conference in Chicago.
Jayapal clarified her comments on Sunday, saying: “I do not believe the idea of Israel as a nation is racist. I do, however, believe that Netanyahu’s extreme rightwing government has engaged in discriminatory and outright racist policies and that there are extreme racists driving that policy within the leadership of the current government.”
The Congressional Progressive Caucus chair, Pramila Jayapal, described Israel as a ‘racist state’ before clarifying her comment. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
House Republicans swiftly attacked Jayapal’s comments, calling on Democratic leaders to join them in rejecting the congresswoman’s criticism of Israel.
“I think if the Democrats want to believe that they do not have a conference that continues to make antisemitic remarks, they need to do something about it,” the House Republican speaker, Kevin McCarthy, said on Monday.
Amid the backlash, more than 40 House Democrats signed on to a statement lambasting Jayapal’s “unacceptable” remarks and praising Israel as “the only vibrant, progressive, and inclusive democracy in the region”. House Democratic leaders also issued a joint statement on Sunday denouncing the characterization of Israel as a “racist state”.
“As House Democratic leaders, we strongly support Israel’s right to exist as a homeland for the Jewish people,” the leaders said. “We are also firmly committed to a robust two-state solution where Israel and the Palestinian people can live side by side in peace and prosperity.”
Although the joint statement did not mention Jayapal by name, progressives balked at the leaders’ rejection of one of their colleagues in an effort to quiet criticism from Republicans.
“I am proud to call [Jayapal] a colleague, a friend and our CPC Chair,” Omar said on Tuesday on Twitter. “I am also deeply concerned about the shaming – often of women of color – when they speak out about human rights violations happening in Palestine and Israel, especially when similar concern is not expressed for the lives being lost and families being torn apart.”
House Republicans seized the opportunity to highlight the Democratic divisions over Israel. The House Republican majority leader, Steve Scalise, announced on Monday that the chamber would vote on Tuesday on a resolution asserting “the state of Israel is not a racist or apartheid state”.
“It should be an easy vote,” Scalise said on Twitter. “Will [Democrats] stand with our ally or capitulate to the anti-Semitic radicals in their party?”
As his congressional allies clashed over Herzog’s visit, Joe Biden met with the Israeli president in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
“This is a friendship, I believe, that’s just simply unbreakable,” Biden told Herzog. “America’s commitment to Israel is firm, and it is ironclad.”
A day before his meeting with Herzog, Biden spoke to Netanyahu over the phone, and the two leaders agreed to meet in the coming months. But a spokesperson for the national security council, John Kirby, would not specify whether that meeting will take place at the White House, as Netanyahu has repeatedly requested.
“They will meet probably before the end of this year,” Kirby told reporters on Monday. “And all the details of the ‘wheres’ and the ‘whens’ are still being worked out.”
Tlaib labels Israel an ‘apartheid state’ in impassioned floor speech
Nick Robertson
Tue, July 18, 2023
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) harshly denounced a House resolution supporting Israel in a floor speech on Tuesday, the day before Israeli President Isaac Herzog will address a joint meeting of Congress.
“Israel is an apartheid state. To assert otherwise, Mr. Speaker, in the face of this body of evidence, is an attempt to deny the reality and an attempt to normalize violence of apartheid,” Tlaib said.
“Don’t forget: This body, this Congress, supported the South African apartheid regime, and it was bipartisan as well,” she added.
Tlaib, who is of Palestinian heritage, is one of a slate of progressive members of Congress who plan to skip Herzog’s speech to Congress on Wednesday out of protest against the Israeli government.
The protests come as violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has increased in recent months, and the Israeli government faces internal strife over attempted judicial reforms.
Tlaib pointed out that the United Nations as well as advocacy groups Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and B’tselem have labeled Israel an apartheid state.
The resolution supporting Israel passed overwhelmingly, with nine members of Congress — mostly Democratic members of the progressive “Squad” — voting against. It specifically states that Israel is “not a racist or apartheid state.”
On Saturday, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) said Israel is a “racist state,” vowing to vote against the resolution and skip Herzog’s speech.
Those comments sparked calls for action from Republicans who believed the remarks were antisemitic.
Democrats have dismissed the outrage as a political squabble, but it has caused some rifts within the party.
“There is a difference between criticizing the right of Israel to exist, which is beyond the pale, and criticizing the conduct of the Israeli government, which I think is horrible,” Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), who is Jewish, said Tuesday.
Herzog met with President Biden on Tuesday.
Nick Robertson
Tue, July 18, 2023
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) harshly denounced a House resolution supporting Israel in a floor speech on Tuesday, the day before Israeli President Isaac Herzog will address a joint meeting of Congress.
“Israel is an apartheid state. To assert otherwise, Mr. Speaker, in the face of this body of evidence, is an attempt to deny the reality and an attempt to normalize violence of apartheid,” Tlaib said.
“Don’t forget: This body, this Congress, supported the South African apartheid regime, and it was bipartisan as well,” she added.
Tlaib, who is of Palestinian heritage, is one of a slate of progressive members of Congress who plan to skip Herzog’s speech to Congress on Wednesday out of protest against the Israeli government.
The protests come as violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has increased in recent months, and the Israeli government faces internal strife over attempted judicial reforms.
Tlaib pointed out that the United Nations as well as advocacy groups Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and B’tselem have labeled Israel an apartheid state.
The resolution supporting Israel passed overwhelmingly, with nine members of Congress — mostly Democratic members of the progressive “Squad” — voting against. It specifically states that Israel is “not a racist or apartheid state.”
On Saturday, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) said Israel is a “racist state,” vowing to vote against the resolution and skip Herzog’s speech.
Those comments sparked calls for action from Republicans who believed the remarks were antisemitic.
Democrats have dismissed the outrage as a political squabble, but it has caused some rifts within the party.
“There is a difference between criticizing the right of Israel to exist, which is beyond the pale, and criticizing the conduct of the Israeli government, which I think is horrible,” Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), who is Jewish, said Tuesday.
Herzog met with President Biden on Tuesday.
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