U.S. Congressional leaders said on Thursday that President Isaac Herzog will address both houses of Congress during his visit to Washington next month. The address comes on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Israel and means to reaffirm the U.S.-Israel relationship.
More stories:
“I am pleased Congress will have the opportunity to hear from President Herzog, who has always been a great leader and is particularly influential at this time," House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said in a statement. "This invitation to speak at a joint meeting of Congress is a testament to the decades of bipartisan and bicameral support for Israel that transcends party politics and I look forward to welcoming him to the Capitol,” he said.
Herzog will also meet U.S. President Joe Biden while in Washington as well as with the vice president, secretary of state and other senior officials. He will be accompanied by outgoing U.S. ambassador to Israel Tom Nides, who will leave his post in mid-July. The president is expected to visit NY where he will meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and leaders of the American Jewish community.
2 View gallery
Israeli President Issac Herzog with U.S. President Joe Biden in the White House last year
(Photo: GPO)
Herzog was invited to address Congress by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last October and after McCarthy's visit to Israel earlier this year, when he addressed the Knesset.
“In May, I became the second Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in history to address the Israeli Knesset, and now, it is my privilege to host Israeli President Isaac Herzog for a similar honor. The only other President of Israel to share this distinction is his father—President Chaim Herzog—more than 35 years ago,” McCarthy said.
“The world is better off when America and Israel work together. Eleven minutes after declaring independence in 1948, the United States was the first to recognize the state of Israel, and today, we continue to strengthen the unbreakable bond between our two democracies.”