US Congressional leaders invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver a speech on Capitol Hill, a show of support for the longtime ally despite the growing political divisions by Israel’s military attack on Gaza.
The invitation of the president of the House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, and the majority leader in the Senate, Democrat Chuck Schumer, along with the Republican leader in that legislative chamber, Mitch McConnell, and the Democratic leader in the chamber low, Hakeem Jeffries, has been preparing for some time. No date has been set for the speech.
The leaders said the invitation was extended to “highlight America’s solidarity with Israel.”
“We invite you to share the Israeli government’s vision to defend democracy, combat terrorism, and establish a just and lasting peace in the region,” they wrote.
A Netanyahu speech would almost certainly expose divisions in an election year in the United States, where a growing number of Democrats have turned away from the right-wing prime minister while Republicans have backed him.
Johnson was the first to suggest inviting the Israeli leader, stating that it would be “a great honor for me” to do so. This came shortly after Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the United States, issued a harsh rebuke to Netanyahu. In his speech, the Democratic lawmaker said that the Israeli president had “lost his way” in the midst of the Israeli bombing campaign in Gaza.
Even so, Schumer indicated that he would join the invitation because “our relationship with Israel is strong and transcends any prime minister or president.”
The war between Israel and Hamas, which is now in its seventh month following the surprise attack carried out on October 7, 2023 by the Palestinian militant group, has caused widespread concern in the United States and abroad about Israel’s conduct and the high number of victims Palestinian civilians.
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