Netanyahu visit heightens US election drama

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington, where he will try to navigate the political minefield of a heated US presidential election campaign where all sides want to exploit the Gaza war to their own advantage.

Netanyahu will kick off his US schedule Wednesday (July 24) with a speech to the US Congress. He will try to justify his all-out war on the Gaza Strip, which he launched last October in retaliation for a day-long attack on Israeli communities by Hamas, the anti-Israeli Islamic movement that ruled Gaza.

Then follows a possible series of meetings with President Joe Biden and a pair of politicians trying to replace him: Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump. All will want to fit Netanyahu’s visit into their own particular political needs.

Biden, who on Sunday suddenly dropped out of his run for reelection, will want to show he is still in charge and not a hapless lame duck. He is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu on Wednesday.

Harris, chosen by Biden and top Democratic Party leaders and members to replace the president in the November national election, will also speak with the Israeli leader Wednesday. She will try to display her foreign policy touch and expertise.

Netanyahu had to swallow an affront from Harris to get the meeting: She is skipping his speech to Congress to attend a campaign rally in the US midwest; as vice president, she would normally preside over a joint session where the Senate is present.

Then there’s ex-president Donald Trump, who is running against Harris on behalf of the Republican Party. He is meeting with Netanyahu, apparently at the Israeli leader’s request, later in the week at his home in Florida.

One way or another, Netanyahu is at odds with