U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar to boycott Israeli President’s speech to Congress

U.S. Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, known for her anti-Israel position, announced Wednesday that she intends to boycott the speech set to be delivered by Israeli President Isaac Herzog during a joint session of Congress, scheduled for next week.

In a lengthy Twitter post lashing out at the Israeli government, Omar wrote, “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.”

In 2019, Israel announced that it was banning Omar and her colleague, Palestinian-American congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, from entering its territory because of their support for the BDS movement.

“Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s address comes on behalf of the most right-wing government in Israel’s history, at a time when the government is openly promising to “crush” Palestinian hopes of statehood—essentially putting a nail in the coffin of peace and a two-state solution,” Omar wrote. 

Herzog is set to give the speech marking Israel’s 75th anniversary next Wednesday. He was invited last year by then-House speaker Nancy Pelosi, which was backed by current Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier this year.

Omar pointed out recent remarks made by Israeli far-right ministers, and the ongoing debate over the judicial reform plan, which created tensions between Washington and Jerusalem. 

“It comes as extreme right-wing Israeli cabinet members directly attack President Biden, saying Israel is 'no longer a star' on the U.S. flag. It also comes as the Israeli government is pushing through what legal experts describe as a judicial coup to centralize power and undermine checks on their power, prompting months of mass demonstrations against the government throughout Israel,” she wrote. 

The congresswoman also noted that it was the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank, mentioning Israel’s recent counterterrorism operation in the city of Jenin, which left 13 Palestinians dead. 

“These are all deeply concerning trends—especially considering the fact that we provide Israel with nearly $4 billion in annual military aid,” she stressed, adding, however, that the U.S. “can and should use its diplomatic tools to engage with the Israeli government.”