Auburn head basketball coach Bruce Pearl called out Vice President Kamala Harris and other members of Congress for skipping out on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to a joint session on Wednesday.

Harris, the perceived new frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination after President Joe Biden pulled out of the race and endorsed her, would normally preside over a joint session of Congress, but she elected not to change her previously planned Wednesday campaign trip to Indiana.

Pearl on Tuesday railed against Harris for fanning "the flames of antisemitism and anti Zionism" in not presiding over the address. On Wednesday, he said it broke his heart that she and other members of Congress wouldn't be on hand and asked what kind of message it would "send to Israel's enemies, protesters and college students?"

"It's leadership like this that fan the flames of antisemitism and anti Zionism," Pearl wrote on Twitter. "Can you recall another foreign leader addressing Congress and the VP choosing not to preside? This signal will encourage Israel's enemies and break the hearts of those of us who love Gods holy land!"

He added in a tweet the next day, "It breaks my heart that our VP and other members of Congress from both sides of the aisle won't be here. What message does that send to Israel's enemies, protesters and college students?"

Pearl has been vocal in his support of Israel, given his Jewish heritage. He has urged the Biden administration to do more to support Israel and condemned the rise of antisemitism on college campuses following the Hamas attack in October 2023.

To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email trent.baker@1819news.com.

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