Mike Wagenheim
JNS, July 19, 2023
“One of the main missions of Herzog’s trip was to remind Biden why he constantly describes himself as a Zionist and why he holds, as he told Herzog at the outset of Tuesday’s meeting, a love for Israel that is “deep-rooted and long-lasting.””
Just as Israel’s president was settling in following a busy day in Washington, a gift came his way from the Capitol, courtesy of the Jewish state’s opponents.
Less than 24 hours before he was to address a joint session of Congress, The House passed a Republican-sponsored resolution stating that Israel is not a racist or apartheid state. The resolution’s filing was inspired by a flippant insult hurled at Israel by the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, who, under heavy pressure from House leadership and rank-and-file from her own party, attempted to walk back her comment.
Only nine members, all from the hard left, voted against the resolution, with 412 in favor, including 195 Democrats.
Fears of Herzog’s visit being overshadowed by any number of issues—domestic Israeli political strife, sharp tensions in the U.S-Israel relationship, the lack of a similar White House invitation to Israel’s prime minister—certainly didn’t disappear on Tuesday.
But Herzog’s command of his hour in the Oval Office, combined with progressive Democrats’ foolish insistence on showing how much Congress actually values Israel, tamped down some of those worries.
In the most consequential room in America, dealing with the world’s most consequential leader, Herzog seemingly took control of the narrative. Accentuating the positive and owning the negative, Herzog took a meeting with the U.S. president and crafted a story of partnership that would survive even the toughest of disagreements.
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