Israel’s Herzog to Embark on US Trip Monday, Will Meet Biden, Address Joint Session of Congress
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by i24 News
Israeli President Isaac Herzog stands to speak during Israel’s National Day ceremony at Expo 2020 Dubai, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, January 31, 2022. REUTERS/Christopher Pike
i24 News – Israeli President Isaac Herzog will embark on Monday on his highly anticipated trip to the United States, his office confirmed on Monday.
The president’s visit will culminate with an address to Congress will be the second time ever that an Israeli president addresses a joint session of the two houses of the American Congress; the precedent was set when his father, the country’s sixth president Haim Herzog, spoke there more than 35 years ago.
Last month, Herzog was invited to the White House by US President Joe Biden, who is yet to extend a similar invitation to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The official visit comes amid tensions over the future of Iran’s nuclear capabilities, with the Biden administration trying to salvage a deal that would reinstate international control over the civilian program in exchange for sanctions relief. Israel opposes such an agenda.
Another point of contention between the Biden and Netanyahu administrations is the controversial judicial overhaul in Israel; the moderate Herzog, who has been tirelessly mediating between the government and the opposition during what he has described as a “national crisis,” appears to share at least some of Biden’s critiques of the reform.
Herzog will also visit the United Nations Headquarters in New York, where he will meet with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, followed by meetings with New York Governor Kathy Hokul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. He will likewise attend a festive event by the Jewish Federation of New York, which represents the largest Jewish community outside Israel.
According to the president’s office, the purpose of the diplomatic visit is to strengthen the relationship and partnership between the US and Israel, reflecting the deep ties between the countries, which stand above any disagreement over any topic.
Herzog’s office also added that the leader will bring Leah Goldin — whose son Hadar was killed in the 2014 Gaza war and whose body is being held by Hamas — with him on the week-long tour.
