Middle East

NPR - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his administration's war efforts yesterday in his first address to the U.S. Congress since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. He called on the U.S. to stand with Israel, urged Congress to fast-track additional military aid and vowed that his country would do “whatever it must” to defeat Hamas. Dozens of Democratic lawmakers boycotted the speech, and thousands of protesters marched outside the Capitol. Netanyahu is expected to meet separately with Biden and Harris today and with former President Donald Trump tomorrow. The Israeli prime minister's visit comes at a crucial time in American politics, as Harris looks to strike a delicate balance on Israel ahead of the 2024 election.

NPR’s Asma Khalid says that multiple people have told her that Harris shows a greater degree of empathy for Palestinian civilians than Biden. She was also one of the earlier people in the administration to show a less dismissive response to the pro-Palestinian protests in the U.S. Some Democrats who voted uncommitted during the primaries are now willing to give Harris a chance. But that doesn’t mean they will certainly vote for her. Khalid says that as Harris runs for president, she will need to avoid alienating Israel supporters while winning back some of the young, progressive brown and Black voters that Biden alienated with his actions.