Israeli president to address US Congress on July 19

By Firdevs Bulut Kartal

TORONTO (AA) - Israeli President Isaac Herzog will address a joint meeting of US Congress on July 19, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Thursday.

The purpose of Herzog's visit mirrors McCarthy’s recent bipartisan trip to Israel, which is to commemorate 75th anniversary of the Israeli state, and reaffirm the special relationship between the two nations, according to a statement by McCarthy.

“In May, I became the second Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in history to address the Israeli Knesset, and now, it is my privilege to host Israeli President Isaac Herzog for a similar honor. The only other President of Israel to share this distinction is his father—President Chaim Herzog—more than 35 years ago,” he said.

Stating that the collaboration between the US and Israel yields benefits for the world, McCarthy added: "Eleven minutes after declaring independence in 1948, the United States was the first to recognize the state of Israel, and today, we continue to strengthen the unbreakable bond between our two democracies".