Israeli President Isaac Herzog delivered remarks to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, marking Israel’s 75th anniversary.
Herzog’s U.S. visit comes amid “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pursuit of a judicial overhaul that has drawn unprecedented criticism from the U.S.,” The Hill’s Laura Kelly and Mychael Schnell wrote.
The Israeli president said protests in the country against Netanyahu and his government are “painful, and deeply unnerving, because it highlights the cracks within the whole.”
“As head of state, I will continue doing everything to reach a broad public consensus, and to preserve, protect and defend the state of Israel’s democracy,” he told U.S. lawmakers.
More from Kelly and Schnell:
“President Biden has urged Netanyahu to work with Herzog to reach an agreement with the political opposition to abandon some of the most controversial measures of the government’s judicial overhaul plan, which critics say would neuter the country’s Supreme Court and undermine its democracy.”
Herzog also discussed Israeli relations with Saudi Arabia and Palestinians.
At least seven progressive Democrats skipped Herzog’s remarks, which came one day after the House voted 412-9-1 to approve a resolution declaring, among other things, that Israel “is not a racist or apartheid state.”
That vote followed Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal‘s (D-Wash.) comment that “Israel is a racist state,” which she later walked back. Jayapal supported Tuesday’s resolution and did not attend Herzog’s speech, with a Democratic aide saying Jayapal had “scheduling conflicts.”
Read the full report here.
