Reflecting Washington’s changing power dynamics, Biden’s meeting with Netanyahu will not be the only one scrutinized: Just as many eyes will be on Vice President Kamala Harris, who will hold a separate meeting with the prime minister. Biden and Netanyahu will meet Thursday afternoon and then visit with families of Americans held hostage; Harris is slated to meet with the Israeli leader later that day.
According to The Jerusalem Post, 71 members of Congress skipped out on listening to Netanyahu's address. One of these was a Republican, the radically right-wing isolationist Thomas Massie of Kentucky, and the other 70 are Democrats.
Two of these cited prior commitments- Virginia senator Tim Kaine, who nevertheless issued a statement criticizing Netanyahu's appearance; and US Representative Katie Porter of California. Evidently, most of the members who missed the speech did not explain their absence, although doing so, Newsweek reports, were the following: Senators Dick Durbin of Illinois, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland; and US Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York; Ilhan Omar of Minnesota; Maxwell Alejandro Frost of Florida; Jim Clyburn of South Carolina; and Robert Garcia, Sara Jacobs, and Ami Bera of California.
They should have attended the address and in response to incendiary, demeaning, or destructive remarks made by the Israeli prime minister struck a dignified and eloquent pose by remaining seated.
Yet, those who explained their boycott of a speech given by the head of state of this nation's most loyal ally should be given credit for the courage of their convictions. Not so the individual who presides over the Senate, whose one constitutional duty is to preside over the Senate.
The current Vice President of the USA, the world's greatest superpower, skipped the address of the Prime Minister of a nation at war, instead speaking at a conference in Indiana of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. The racially segregated sorority is a member of the Divine Nine, which represents historically black sororities and fraternities including Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, which Harris remains a member of from her days at Howard University.
The 15-minute speech, intended to reinforce support with the base of the Democratic Party (and especially of hers), reportedly had been scheduled months in advance. However, commitments such as this are meant to be broken and as both Vice President (to a President increasingly limited as he ages) and (soon to be) nominee for President, Harris almost as a matter of course will be postponing appointments.
The Vice President should have done so on Wednesday by performing the one task the Constitution calls on her to perform. If she chose not to do so, Harris could have issued remarks critical of Prime Minister Netanyahu, as did several Senators and U.S. Representatives. The alternative was to take the easy way out, as she did.
In ducking the congressional session, Harris highlighted the lack of importance of her office. There is nothing consequential she (or anyone in that position) must do other than casting the deciding vote if there is a tie in the US Senate. She has done that very well but ought to have shown up on Wednesday. Instead, the candidate who is very definitely not a product of DEI showed us what she is made of.
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