House Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Thursday his plan to invite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to address a joint session of Congress. This move aims to welcome a leader who has sparked partisan disagreement in American politics regarding the war in Gaza.
Mr. Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, mentioned the invitation following Mr. Netanyahu’s criticism of Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader. Schumer had singled out Netanyahu as a hindrance to peace and called for his replacement during a recent speech.
In an interview on CNBC, Mr. Johnson expressed his desire for Netanyahu to address Congress, stating, “I would love to have him come and address a joint session of Congress; we’ll certainly extend that invitation.” He also mentioned being invited to speak at the Israeli Knesset.
Despite Schumer initially declining a virtual address by Netanyahu to Senate Democrats, he later expressed support for the Israeli prime minister addressing the entire Congress if Johnson proceeds with the invitation. Schumer emphasized the strong alliance between the US and Israel, stating, “Israel has no stronger ally than the United States and our relationship transcends any one president or any one prime minister.”
The recent remarks and backlash highlight the partisan divide in the US over Netanyahu’s leadership during the ongoing conflict with Hamas. There is a struggle within both parties to establish themselves as true allies of Israel.
Mr. Johnson’s spokesman mentioned that there have been no discussions with Schumer yet, who would need to approve any invitation for an address before a joint session of Congress.
In 2015, Mr. Netanyahu drew criticism from Democrats for accepting an invitation from Republicans to deliver a speech to Congress denouncing the Iran nuclear deal while the Obama administration was negotiating it.
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