WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Independent Women’s Forum’s (IWF) Center for American Safety and Security (CASS) issued statements on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress and Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee for President Kamala Harris’s failure to attend this critical address during the prime minister’s first international trip since the October 7th brutal attacks and violence against women by Hamas.
In the wake of the horrific genocidal attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas terrorists on October 7th, 2023—which includes premeditated murder, mass rape, and violent sexual assault, and the deliberate use of real-time documentation and broadcasting of these crimes as psychological warfare—IWF, deeply concerned women’s human rights have been grotesquely neglected, sent a letter sent to the White House’s Gender Policy Council and to the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), calling on all advocates for women and girls to speak out unequivocally in condemnation of Hamas’s wilful dehumanization, murder, and abuse of women and girls.
Kamala Harris’s failure to attend today’s address to Congress showcases this continued silence and hypocrisy that IWF continues to call attention to through the ‘Our Girls’ video and petition campaign. The campaign was launched in May to shed light on the disregard for women from the White House and prominent #BringBackOurGirls supporters — including world leaders, feminist women’s organizations, celebrities, and other public figures who once backed women’s rights.
Meaghan Mobbs, Director of the Center for American Safety and Security, said:
“In a shocking display of misplaced priorities, Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee for President, Kamala Harris, has chosen to skip presiding over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s critical address to Congress to attend a sorority event. This decision is a slap in the face to the United States’ primary democratic ally in the Middle East, Israel, and to the victims of the horrific October 7th massacre, which included heinous acts of sexual violence and mutilation against women.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address is his first international trip since the October 7th attacks, where hostages, including Americans, remain in captivity. This address is a pivotal moment for reaffirming U.S.-Israel relations and our commitment to combating terrorism and supporting democracy in a volatile region.
“Vice President Harris’s choice to prioritize a social event over this vital diplomatic engagement raises serious questions about her understanding of global affairs and her readiness to lead on the world stage. Her decision suggests a troubling disregard for national security and foreign policy priorities.
“Moreover, Senate President pro tempore Patty Murray, D-Wash., who would typically preside in the Vice President’s absence, is also refusing to attend and will be boycotting the address. This joint decision undermines the importance of our alliance with Israel and neglects the gravity of the geopolitical challenges we face.
“As women in positions of power, Vice President Harris and Senator Murray should be showing solidarity with the women who suffered brutal sexual violence during the October 7th attacks. Their absence sends a disturbing message about their commitment to standing with victims of such atrocities and supporting our allies.
“Israel remains a beacon of democracy in a region plagued by instability, an instability predominantly funded and perpetuated by the Iranian regime. Our leaders must demonstrate unwavering support for our allies and stand strong against our enemies. The American people deserve a leader who prioritizes our national security regardless of political affiliation.”
Independent Women’s Forum Senior Fellow Dr. Qanta Ahmed, who traveled to the frontlines of the violence in Israel as a human-rights observer with the permission of the nation’s Foreign Affairs Ministry and help from Israel Defense Forces officer Kobi Valer, added:
“Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address to Congress arrives at a critical moment for a Middle East riven by conflict and a United States, uniquely vulnerable domestically and increasingly challenged internationally.
“As an expert on Islamist jihadism and a physician eye witness in the Gaza envelope to the immediate aftermath of October 7th, I personally examined the remains of those murdered by Hamas, visited the places of the atrocities, and bore witness to accounts of all violence including sexual violence against men, women and girls.
“The absence of both President Biden and Vice President Harris from the Prime Minister of Israel’s speech signals the Administration’s grave failure to recognize the gravity of Hamas’s war of choice on Israel which has plunged the both the Israeli and Palestinian people into devastating conflict, continues to hold civilians hostage (including Americans) imperiled vital Red Sea commercial shipping lanes and, devastating the Middle East’s only democracy, now expands into a volatile Middle East.
“Democratic policies have left the Middle East more combustible in the profound vacuum of American influence first defined in 2008 by the Obama Doctrine and seamlessly continued through the Biden Administration which continues to favor, appease and ignore an expansionist bellicose Islamic Republic of Iran and her violent proxies. Iran will read this affront as a clear signal to further escalate regional and international tensions.
“The Independent Women’s Forum recognizes Vice President Harris could still reverse this by presiding over the Israeli leader’s Congressional address powerfully underscoring the deep commitment the United States makes to the sovereign and democratic Jewish State, America’s closest ally, leaving no doubt to the international community of our mutual alliance and our shared resolve to combat Islamist extremism in all its forms in our efforts to restore peace.”
Independent Women’s Forum Senior Fellow Ellie Cohanim, stated:
“It is shameful that Vice President Kamala Harris has decided to essentially boycott the address of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the US Congress today, by refusing to preside over the Congress during the address as her position requires. Israel is America’s leading ally in the Middle East, and Israel is fighting a courageous multi-front war against US adversaries—the Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. At the same moment that Harris has thrown her hat in the ring to become the next president of the United States, she seems to be catering to the radical left wing of her party which rejects our fundamental values as a Judeo-Christian nation. Kamala Harris’ decision is wrong-headed and extremely foreboding for what a potential US foreign policy would be under a Harris presidency.”