Israeli President Tells US Congress the 2 Countries Have a ‘Sacred Bond’

Herzog attacks Iran, acknowledges Israel’s crisis, and says he “respects” friendly criticism

Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed a joint meeting of the US Congress Wednesday, saying the two countries shared democratic values, trusted one another, and had a long history of working together.

“The people of Israel,” he said, “are grateful to no end” for America’s friendship, describing US-Israeli ties as a “sacred bond.”

Herzog moved quickly into a warning about the Iranian nuclear program, which he described as “the greatest challenge Israel and the United States face at this time.”

He said Iran “has spread hatred, terror and suffering throughout the Middle East and beyond,” and is today the “only nation on the planet,” publicly calling for Israel’s annihilation while trying to develop the means to achieve that goal.

The US negotiated a nuclear deal with the Iranians in 2016, but then-President Donald Trump withdrew from that agreement in 2018. Since President Joe Biden’s 2020 election, the US has held low-key talks with the Islamic Republic.

Iran says it is not developing a nuclear weapon.

Israel has long lobbied for the US to strengthen its sanctions on Iran rather than return to the negotiating table.

The Israeli president also spoke about Israel’s policy toward the Palestinians. He said his “deep yearning” was to make peace with Israel’s neighbors but offered no new ideas for pursuing negotiations.

Talks between the Palestinian leadership and the Israeli government have been stalled for years.

Herzog’s lack of concrete policy proposals was not surprising, however. The role of Israel’s president is mainly ceremonial, and Herzog has no executive powers. Instead, those rest with the prime minister, typically the head of the largest political party and the one best equipped to cobble together a ruling coalition.

The current prime minister is Binyamin Netanyahu, a controversial figure on Israel’s political right. Netanyahu, under indictment for corruption, is leading a legislative drive to reconfigure the country’s judiciary. Opponents have dubbed those efforts a “coup,” and hundreds of thousands of protesters have poured into the streets to demonstrate their rejection of the proposed reforms.

Netanyahu is also a foreign policy hard-liner, talking tough on Iran and vowing to crush Palestinian hopes for statehood.

In his speech, Herzog acknowledged Israel’s political crisis over the new judicial legislation, noting “that over the past few months, the Israeli people have engaged in a heated and painful debate.”

Herzog has repeatedly sought to mediate between the government and political opposition, but those efforts recently collapsed.

He said the Israeli protests were evidence of the strength of the country’s democracy. “Israel,” he said, “has democracy in its DNA.”

In Israel, however, Netanyahu’s critics say the prime minister is trying to rewrite the country’s political rules of the game and that if he succeeds, the country will slide into authoritarian rule.

Herzog’s US visit was seen by many as a snub to Netanyahu. Breaking with established precedent, President Biden has refused to invite Netanyahu for a visit for months.

Netanyahu was sworn in late last year, and US presidents typically invite new Israeli prime ministers to Washington soon after their appointment.

Experts said President Biden’s non-invitation was a signal of his distaste for Netanyahu’s eagerness to expand settlements in the West Bank, which many view as an impediment to peace with the Palestinians.

However, President Biden appeared to relent early this week, saying he would welcome a Netanyahu visit later this year. The US president did not invite Netanyahu to the White House, however, leading some to suggest the two might meet in a less prestigious venue.

Herzog’s talk was not attended by a handful of Democratic politicians who have been deeply critical of Israel, including Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman of New York, and Cori Bush of Missouri.

The no-shows said they did not want to honor Israel’s head of state, given the country’s policies toward Palestinians.

Herzog indirectly acknowledged their opposition, saying he respected “criticism, especially from friends.” But he slammed some for questioning Israel’s right to exist, saying this was anti-Semitic.