(NewsNation) — Many Democrats, including Vice President Kamala Harris, skipped Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of Congress.
Harris, who serves as president of the Senate and would traditionally sit behind foreign leaders, says a long-scheduled trip kept her away Wednesday.
Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., told NewsNation on Wednesday that he thinks Harris’ absence is a “travesty.”
Republicans have targeted Harris’ absence as a sign of disloyalty to an ally. However, Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, said campaigning also made him a no-show for the speech.
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On the other side of the political spectrum, Rep. Ami Bera, D- Calif., said the vice president’s absence from Netanyahu’s speech doesn’t mean she’s pro-Palestine.
“We’re all strong supporters of Israel (Biden, Harris and Bera). I’ve got some issues with how Netanyahu is prosecuting this war, but I would not take my absence there, or the vice president’s absence, as supporting Hamas for the Palestinians,” Bera said during an appearance on NewsNation’s “On Balance.” “Hamas is a horrific organization, and I absolutely support Israel’s right to defend itself and dismantle Hamas.”
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The Biden administration said it wants to see Netanyahu focus during his visit on helping it complete a deal for a cease-fire and hostage release in the nine-month war. Growing numbers of Israelis accuse Netanyahu of prolonging the war in order to avoid his own likely fall from power whenever the conflict ends.
Many Democrats who support Israel but have been critical of Netanyahu see the address as a Republican effort to cast itself as the party most loyal to Israel and to provide the prime minister with a much-needed political reprieve.
The Associated Press and NewsNation’s Taylor Delandro contributed to this report.
