Not just Israel: Members of Congress have boycotted speeches by foreign leaders from Iraq and India — and even the Pope
Israeli President Isaac Herzog speaks with reporters outside of the West Wing of the White House after finishing up a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden on October 26, 2022. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
When Israeli President Isaac Herzog delivers an address to Congress on Wednesday, a few seats in the House chamber will remain empty: At least five Democratic representatives have already announced that they will skip Herzog’s address.
Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota stated that “there is no way in hell” she will attend the speech, citing Israel’s refusal to grant Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib entry in 2019. Tlaib also will not attend, along with Rep. Jamaal Bowman and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri.
“The Israeli government is responsible for enforcing an apartheid state and rampantly abusing the rights of Palestinians,” Bush wrote in a tweet. “Congress should not be giving a platform to the President of a country that shows no respect for human rights. I will not be attending his joint address.”
While Omar, Tlaib, Bowman and Bush attracted criticism for their decision, with Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy implying their choice was tied to antisemitism, there’s a long history of congresspeople sitting out appearances by foreign leaders. Here’s how such protests have unfolded over the past three decades.
1996: French President Jacques Chirac
Then-President Chirac arrived in Washington in 1996 to speak to both chambers of Congress. France announced the end of its nuclear testing program only two days before his appearance, after a year of intense nuclear testing in the Pacific that drew international condemnation.
While Chirac was welcomed by then-U.S. President Bill Clinton, his previous pursuit of nuclear testing — despite vocal opposition from key allies like Australia and Japan — irked many Democratic members of Congress.
Only 30 out of 197 Democratic representatives were present for the speech.
“We return the insult with our insult,” said Washington, D.C. congressional delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton.
2006: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
In a joint session of Congress at the height of the Iraq War in 2006, Iraq’s then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki urged American lawmakers to continue supporting his country amid political instability, and reiterated Iraq’s support for the “war on terror.”
A few Democrats decided to skip al-Maliki’s speech, some in protest of his disapproval of Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon in response to a Hezbollah raid into Israeli territory. Sen. Chuck Schumer, one of the most prominent lawmakers to boycott the speech, did so partially because of al-Maliki’s refusal to publicly oppose extending amnesty to Iraqi insurgents who targeted American troops.
“If this is what American blood and dollars are being shed for, you’ve got to ask yourself, what’s the purpose?” Schumer said.
2015: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Amid a strained relationship with then-President Barack Obama’s administration over the Iran Deal, Netanyahu decided to accept an invitation from Republican representatives to speak to Congress in 2015.
Netanyahu’s decision to accept the Republican offer without an invitation from the White House upset the Democratic establishment, and 58 congresspeople declined to attend Netanyahu’s speech in response.
Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer, who skipped the speech, said that he would “refuse to be part of a reckless act of political grandstanding,” and called for the cancellation of Netanyahu’s trip, adding that “it’s deeply troubling that the speaker is willing to undercut diplomacy in exchange for theatrics on the House floor.”
2015: Pope Francis
In the first ever joint session address by a pope, Pope Francis delivered a speech to Congress in 2015 that advocated for fighting poverty and climate change, and affirmed his opposition to capital punishment.
Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar, who was raised Roman Catholic, decided to boycott the speech when he learned that “flawed climate change policies” would be central to Pope Francis’ address, and criticized the Pope for acting “like a leftist politician.”
2022: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy addressed both chambers of Congress in December 2022, marking his first trip outside of Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion.
While Zelenskyy met a generally enthusiastic welcome, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie boycotted the speech, calling Zelenskyy a “Ukrainian lobbyist.” Massie has long been critical of U.S. involvement in NATO and the war in Ukraine.
“If western news reports are correct and the Russian military is crumbling in Ukraine,” Massie tweeted earlier in 2022, “why are we talking about spending $ billions more in Congress for NATO countries this week?”
2023: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to both chambers of Congress in June, his second such speech since he took office in 2014. Modi, who heads the nationalistic BJP party, has been widely criticized for advancing Islamophobic rhetoric and policies.
The same four progressive Democratic representatives who intend to sit out Herzog’s address boycotted Modi’s speech.
“It’s shameful that Modi has been given a platform at our nation’s capital — his long history of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, targeting Muslims & religious minorities, and censoring journalists is unacceptable,” said Tlaib.
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