Vice President Kamala Harris will not be present at the rostrum, while tensions are high leading to Speaker Mike Johnson threatening to arrest disruptive individuals.
The Democratic side of the House chamber will noticeably have more empty seats compared to the Republican side during Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel will face a divided Congress over his leadership amidst international criticism of the Gaza conflict, with some members showing hostility towards the government of a key U.S. ally.
Mr. Netanyahu aims to secure bipartisan support for Israel during his visit to Washington, though his visit highlights the divisions among Democrats, especially regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Vice President Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, will not preside over Mr. Netanyahu’s speech due to a scheduling conflict, reflecting the progressive base’s discontent with Israel’s actions.
Her absence is just one representation of the broader anger within the Democratic Party towards Mr. Netanyahu’s handling of the war with Hamas, as evidenced by the empty seats on one side of the chamber during his address.
