Rep. Chris Smith, Co-Chair of the Israel Allies Caucus, today escorted Israeli President Isaac Herzog into the House of Representatives for his historic address before a joint session of Congress.
An avid supporter of Israel and fierce advocate for aid to the US ally, Smith was chosen by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) along with a select group of his colleagues to usher the Israeli President into the House Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) greets Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the US Capitol on Wednesday, July 19.chamber to deliver his remarks to Congress.
“Israel is a great US ally and the only true democracy in the Middle East,” said Smith, who serves as Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism.
“Unlike its neighbors, Israel protects religious freedom and upholds diversity of creed,” said Smith, who has chaired more than a dozen congressional hearings on combating antisemitism, including a hearing in June exposing the rampant antisemitism and anti-Israel bias that pervades the United Nations and international organizations. Smith is the author of the law that created the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism at the US State Department and another law that upgraded and strengthened the Special Envoy to the rank of Ambassador, reporting directly to the Secretary of State.
“The United States must continually strengthen our bond of friendship and tangible support for Israel,” Smith said.
The Israeli President’s address to Congress comes just one day after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed—with Smith’s strong support and vote—a House resolution (HConRes 57) affirming US support for Israel and firmly rejecting the antisemitic claim that Israel is a “racist state.”
The resolution—which passed the House in a vote of 412-9—declares that:
The State of Israel is not a racist or apartheid state;
Congress rejects all forms of antisemitism and xenophobia; and
The United States will always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel.
