Which members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation attended Israeli president’s speech
Israeli President Isaac Herzog speaks to a joint session of Congress, Wednesday, July 19, 2023, at the Capitol in Washington, as Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif., look on. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke to Congress Wednesday morning about the state of his country’s democracy and the strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
During that speech, he acknowledged the “intense and painful debate” at home over the actions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hardline government.
But a small group of lawmakers, including one representing Minnesota, boycotted his speech, which came a day after the U.S. House of Representatives approved a resolution in support of Israel. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) voted against that resolution and Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) voted present while all other Minnesota representatives voted in favor of it.
Below is a look at which members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation attended Herzog’s speech Wednesday:
- Rep. Brad Finstad (R-1st District) — Yes.
- Rep. Angie Craig (D-2nd District) — Yes.
- Rep. Dean Phillips (D-3rd District) — Yes. He was part of the escort committee for Herzog.
- Rep. Betty McCollum (D-4th District) — No.
- Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-5th District) — No.
- Rep. Tom Emmer (R-6th District) — Yes.
- Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-7th District) — Yes.
- Rep. Pete Stauber (R-8th District) — Yes.
- Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) — Yes.
- Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) — Yes.
McCollum released a statement, saying she had a scheduling conflict that caused her to miss the speech. “Due to a longstanding commitment with tribal leaders which had to be rescheduled because of an added Interior Appropriations markup this week, I am unable to attend the joint address in person. I will be reading the transcript of the speech in its entirety to stay apprised of the issues raised,” she said.
Omar, on the other hand, was one of the lawmakers to boycott the speech. She released a statement saying, in part, that the address “sends the absolute wrong signal at the wrong time.” Her full statement is below.
“We should not be inviting the President of Israel—a government who under its current prime minister barred the first two Muslim women elected to congress from visiting the country—to give a joint address to Congress.
“Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s address comes on behalf of the most right wing government in Israel’s history, at a time when the government is openly promising to “crush” Palestinian hopes of statehood—essentially putting a nail in the coffin of peace and a two-state solution. It comes as extreme right wing Israeli cabinet members directly attack President Biden, saying Israel is ‘no longer a star’ on the US flag. It also comes as the Israeli government is pushing through what legal experts describe as a judicial coup to centralize power and undermine checks on their power, prompting months of mass demonstrations against the government throughout Israel. And above all, it comes during the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank in history, immediately following Israel’s largest incursion into the occupied West Bank in two decades, one that flattened city blocks, and killed at least a dozen people.
“Human rights groups, legal experts, and most of the international community has condemned the increasing violations of international law and human rights. These are all deeply concerning trends—especially considering the fact that we provide Israel with nearly $4 billion in annual military aid. It is also not lost on me that the last time an Israeli leader was invited to give a joint address to Congress, he openly defied President Barack Obama and attacked his Middle East policy from the House Chamber.
“While executive power in Israel is vested in the Prime Minister and his cabinet, the president as head of state has traditionally served as a “faithful policy ambassador” for the government in charge.
“Last month, I opposed the invitation for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address a joint session based on his government’s human rights record. And this month I will not attend a similar address from Israeli President Isaac Herzog. 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.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)
Craig also issued a statement, saying, “I was glad to join a group of bipartisan lawmakers to listen to Israel President Herzog’s joint address today – and I look forward to our continued work to build a strong U.S.-Israel relationship.”
On the other side of the aisle, Stauber tweeted his support for Israel after Tuesday’s vote.
The entire Minnesota Republican delegation also issued the following statement Wednesday afternoon:
“We strongly condemn anti-Semitism in all its forms, which is why we proudly voted to affirm our relationship with Israel and reject the absurd notion that Israel is a racist state. Despite recent comments made by some in our delegation, we Minnesota Republicans are united in standing with Israel and committed to doing everything possible to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship.”
Rep. Tom Emmer, Rep. Pete Stauber, Rep. Brad Finstad, Rep. Michelle Fischbach