Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address US Congress on 24 July
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to address US lawmakers in Washington DC on July 24, as announced by congressional leaders on Thursday.
He will deliver his speech to both chambers of Congress, the Senate, and the House of Representatives, amid ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.
Both Republicans and Democrats extended invitations to the prime minister to speak; however, the official date of his speech was confirmed only on Thursday.
Last month, the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor sought arrest warrants against Netanyahu and his defense minister, Yoav Galant, over allegations linked to the conflict.
Netanyahu criticized the ICC’s action, vehemently rejecting the comparison of “democratic Israel” to what he termed “mass murderers.”
According to a statement released by congressional leaders, Netanyahu expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to represent Israel and present the truth about their defensive actions against those aiming to annihilate them.
In their invitation letter, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, both Republicans, expressed hope that Netanyahu would articulate the Israeli government’s perspective on defending democracy, combating terrorism, and fostering a just and enduring peace in the region.
Netanyahu’s visit comes amidst escalating tensions in the US-Israel relationship, particularly among prominent US Democrats.
Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said in a separate statement that he supported the invitation despite his “clear and profound disagreements with the Prime Minister, which I have voiced both privately and publicly”.
“But because America’s relationship with Israel is ironclad and transcends one person or prime minister I joined the request for him to speak,” he said.
US President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has also grown more critical of Israel as the war continues and the death toll in Gaza climbs.
Mr Biden, who is running for re-election in November, has come under political pressure from his party’s left flank to do more to convince Israel to limit its war in Gaza.
Some progressive leaders, such as Sen Bernie Sanders of Vermont, have said they intend to boycott Mr Netanyahu’s speech in protest at Israel’s conduct in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage during an attack on southern Israel on 7 October.
At least 36,470 people have been killed in Gaza in almost eight months of fighting since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Mr. Biden has recently announced his administration’s advocacy for a ceasefire agreement aimed at initiating a six-week halt in hostilities in Gaza.
The three-part initiative, revealed by the president last week, entails a significant increase in humanitarian assistance, along with a proposed exchange of certain hostages for Palestinian prisoners, preceding a permanent cessation of the conflict.
However, this proposal has faced strong opposition from some members of Israel’s government, casting doubt on the possibility of reaching an agreement.
Hanoch Milwidsky, a senior figure in the Knesset representing Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud Party, asserted to the BBC on Sunday that Israel’s ruling coalition is united in rejecting the proposed deal, which he labeled as “completely unacceptable.”
Mr. Netanyahu’s last address to the US Congress was in 2015, during a period when both chambers were under Republican control. On that occasion, he utilized the platform to criticize then President Barack Obama, a Democrat, for pursuing a deal with US allies and Iran aimed at limiting Tehran’s nuclear program.