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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to address both chambers of the US Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives, congressional leaders announced on Thursday. The speech comes as the Israel-Gaza war rages on.
Bipartisan invitations were extended to Netanyahu, but the date of his address was only confirmed on Thursday. This visit occurs shortly after the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor sought arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant over war-related charges. Netanyahu condemned the ICC’s actions, vehemently rejecting comparisons between “democratic Israel” and “mass murderers.”
In a statement from congressional leaders, Netanyahu expressed being “very moved to have the privilege of representing Israel to present the truth about our just war against those who seek to destroy us.”
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House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, both Republicans, in their invitation letter, expressed hopes that Netanyahu would discuss “defending democracy, combating terror, and establishing a just and lasting peace in the region.”
The visit comes amid heightened tensions between the US and Israel, particularly among US Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is Jewish, voiced his “clear and profound disagreements” with Netanyahu but supported the invitation, emphasizing the enduring US-Israel relationship.
President Joe Biden, facing re-election in November, has also been critical of Israel as the Gaza conflict continues and civilian casualties rise. Progressive Democrats, such as Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, plan to boycott Netanyahu’s speech in protest of Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The conflict escalated following a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Since then, the Hamas-run health ministry reports over 36,470 deaths in Gaza.
President Biden has proposed a ceasefire plan including a six-week cessation of hostilities, humanitarian aid surge, and a hostages-for-prisoners exchange, aiming for a permanent end to the war. However, Israel’s government, unified in opposition, has raised doubts about reaching an agreement. Likud Party’s Hanoch Milwidsky called the proposal “completely unacceptable.”
Netanyahu’s last address to the US Congress in 2015 was during Republican control, where he criticized President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran.
