Ilhan Omar boycotts Herzog's address to US Congress

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Hill
13 Jul 2023 18:27

Ilhan Omar says she will not attend the Israeli President's address to Congress due to her stance against the far-right Israeli government.

US representative Ilhan Omar speaks to witnesses during a House Committee investigation on the "Muslim Ban" on Capitol Hill, Washington, US, September 24 2019. (AP)

US Representative, Ilhan Omar, says she plans on boycotting Israeli President Isaac Herzog's joint address to the US Congress.

In a Twitter thread, the congresswoman explained that her decision is due to the extremist actions of the current Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu.

There is no way in hell I am attending the joint session address from a President whose country has banned me and denied @RashidaTlaib the ability to see her grandma. A thread👇🏽
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) July 13, 2023

Omar underlined that the address "comes on behalf of the most right-wing government in Israel’s history," adding that "the [Israeli] government is openly promising to “crush” Palestinian hopes of statehood."

The congresswoman criticized the decision to allow the Israeli President to address Congress citing the government's decision to bar her and fellow representative Rashida Tlaib from visiting occupied Palestine.

She highlighted the absurdity of the address, as she pointed to ongoing tensions between US President Joe Biden and members of the Israeli government who "directly attack President Biden, saying Israel is 'no longer a star' on the US flag."

Omar talked about the Israeli army's incursions on the occupied West Bank and the continued human rights and international law violations, as she shed light on the recent military campaign that Netnyahu's government led on Jenin and its refugee camp.

The representative also addressed the current government's plans to reform the Israeli judicial system, a topic that has garnered opposition from both Israeli opposition groups and democrats in the US.

Finally, the congresswoman said, "The United States can and should use its diplomatic tools to engage with the Israeli government, but giving the current government the honor of a joint televised address sends the absolute wrong signal at the wrong time."