Obama's Deputy Will Not Attend Netanyahu's Speech in the U.S. Congress

The office of Joe Biden, the Vice President of the United States, who also presides over the Senate according to U.S. law, announced on Friday, February 6, that he will be on an overseas trip during Benjamin Netanyahu's speech in Congress and will not attend the official session. This news comes amidst ongoing criticism of Netanyahu's presence in the U.S. Congress, which is at the invitation of the Speaker of the House, while some continue to defend this action. John Boehner, the Speaker of the House, invited Benjamin Netanyahu to speak in Congress without informing the White House or Democratic Party representatives. This led to a reaction from President Barack Obama, who described such a trip as 'inappropriate.' The Vice President of the United States, whose official position, according to U.S. law, is to preside over the Senate (one of the two houses of Congress, alongside the House of Representatives), typically attends official speeches by world leaders in joint sessions of Congress and is one of those who sits behind the speaking leader alongside the Speaker of the House. In a picture from May 2011, Biden (left) and Boehner are officially present at Netanyahu's speech in Congress. Boehner, who invited the Israeli Prime Minister to speak, recently acknowledged that he did not consult with the White House on this matter. However, he stated that Congress plays a role in U.S. foreign policy and can invite world leaders to speak. Ron Dermer, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., also stated that Netanyahu's trip to Washington does not violate diplomatic norms. Netanyahu is going to Congress shortly before elections in Israel to speak about Iran. This issue has also prompted critical reactions from other senior U.S. politicians, including Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic minority leader in the House, who criticized the 'negative impact' of this speech on the diplomatic process. In Israel itself, the country's Foreign Ministry suspended three of its diplomats due to critical tweets against the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister; reports indicate that these tweets also addressed the issue of the speech in the U.S. Congress and the cooling relations between Tel Aviv and Washington.