Vice President Kamala Harris declined to preside over a joint address of Congress by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Getty Images)
"I believe that a resolution to this conflict cannot be imposed. It must be agreed upon by the parties themselves. Peace can only come through a reconciliation of differences and that can only happen at the negotiating table," Harris said during the speech. "I believe that when any organization delegitimizes Israel, we must stand up and speak out for Israel to be treated equally."
Harris’ friendly relationship with Israel and the Jewish community continued after the election of President Biden, with the vice president encouraging her husband to be the first to install mezuzahs, which are inscribed with verses from the Torah, at the vice presidential residence.
Emhoff has since gone on to chair the Biden administration’s task force to combat antisemitism, a cause those close to Harris say the vice president has been deeply involved in.
However, supporters of Israel worry that the now-Democratic nominee’s support for the Jewish state has started to wane, arguing that Harris has seemingly distanced herself slightly from Biden since the conflict in Gaza began.
In March, Harris became the first administration official to call for an "immediate ceasefire" in the conflict. Later that month, during an interview with ABC News, Harris became the first administration official to warn that there could be "consequences" if the country went ahead with a planned invasion of Rafah.
"We have been clear in multiple conversations and in every way that any major military operation in Rafah would be a huge mistake," she told the outlet.
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That interview also highlighted a potentially fraying relationship between Harris and Netanyahu, with the vice president dodging questions about whether the Israeli prime minister was an "obstacle to peace."
"I believe that we have got to continue to enforce what we know to be and should be the priorities in terms of what is happening in Gaza," Harris said in response. "We've been very clear that far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. We have been very clear that Israel and the Israeli people and Palestinians are entitled to an equal amount of security and dignity."
Vice President Kamala Harris called her husband in a fit of rage after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade earlier this year. (Reuters/Hannah Beier)
The vice president would typically reside over a joint address, but Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin has been tapped to fill the role in the absence of Harris.
An aide to Harris stressed that the vice president’s decision not to preside over the address should not be taken as a change of her stance on Israel, according to a Fox News Digital report Tuesday, with the aide noting that the vice president plans to meet with Netanyahu at the White House this week in a separate meeting from Biden’s.
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The aide added Harris is expected to reiterate her stance that Israel has a right to defend itself and once again condemn the Oct. 7, 2023 attack against Israeli civilians, but will also stress the need for Israel to help improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Nevertheless, Harris’ decision to skip the event elicited immediate backlash, with one Israeli official telling the Telegraph that the vice president is "unable to distinguish between good and evil" and that declining to preside over the address is "not a way to treat an ally."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video message on Wednesday, slamming the ongoing anti-Israel protests at American college campuses. (Office of Israels Prime Minister)
The decision was also condemned by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, according to a report in the New York Post, who accused the vice president of abandoning an American ally.
"It is outrageous to me and inexcusable that Kamala Harris is boycotting Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech," Johnson, who will preside over the address with Cardin, said. "The idea that Democrats are making political calculations when our ally is in such dire straits, fighting for its very survival… is unconscionable to us."
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The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Michael Lee is a writer for Fox News. Prior to joining Fox News, Michael worked for the Washington Examiner, Bongino.com, and Unbiased America. He has covered politics for more than eight years.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/harris-mixed-record-israel-enters-spotlight-during-netanyahu-visit