Israel’s Herzog to face tensions on Washington visit

A handful of Democratic lawmakers are weighing staying away when Israeli President Isaac Herzog addresses Congress this week, citing issues that include
the human rights record of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Herzog, who as head of state plays a largely ceremonial role, begins his two-day Washington visit on Tuesday when he meets U.S. President Joe Biden before addressing a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday.
Ties between the two countries are strained over Israeli settlement expansion on the occupied West Bank as well as a judicial overhaul pursued by Netanyahu’s right-wing government and assailed for months by Israeli protesters.