Washington — The top four leaders of the House and Senate invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint meeting of Congress, despite political divisions over Israel's ongoing war in Gaza.
“We stand with the State of Israel in your fight against terrorism, especially as Hamas continues to hold American and Israeli citizens captive and its leaders endanger regional stability,” the president said. of the House Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the Senate. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell wrote in the letter to Netanyahu, which was released Friday.
“To build our lasting relationship and highlight America's solidarity with Israel, we invite you to share the Israeli government's vision to defend democracy, fight terrorism, and establish a just and lasting peace in the region,” the letter said .
The invitation did not include a date for the speech.
Divisions on the war
The invitation comes as the debate has shifted in recent months over US support for longtime ally Israel amid its war against Hamas in Gaza.
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Some Democrats have called on President Biden to condition or cut military aid to the country for its conduct in Gaza, arguing that Israel has violated international humanitarian law. About 35,000 Palestinians have died in the conflict, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, and many are facing starvation.
In the statements of the White House on Friday that announced it Israel has presented a new ceasefire proposalMr. Biden acknowledged the divisions over the war, saying the Palestinians “have suffered pure hell in this war.”
“I know this is an issue that people in this country have deep and passionate convictions about. So do I. It's been one of the toughest and most complicated issues in the world,” he said.
The president also said that Israel has achieved one of its main goals of the war and that “Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out another October 7,” referring to the horrific attacks by Hamas across Israel last year past that left more than 1,200 dead. The attacks prompted Israel to launch a war on the Hamas-led Gaza Strip.
In March, Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the US, he called Netanyahu was a “major obstacle to peace” and said he “lost his way by allowing his political survival to take precedence over Israel's best interests.” Schumer, a longtime supporter of Israel, also called on his government to hold new elections.
“He has been too willing to tolerate the civilian toll in Gaza, which is driving support for Israel to historic lows,” the New York Democrat said in a speech on the Senate floor. “Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah.”
Days later, Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said he planned to invite Netanyahu to address Congress. Schumer said in a statement that “Israel has no stronger ally than the United States” and “will always welcome the opportunity for the Prime Minister of Israel to address Congress in a bipartisan manner.”
Schumer recently reiterated to reporters that America's relationship with Israel is “ironclad and transcends any prime minister or president.”
US officials, including those who have been critical of Netanyahu, came to the defense earlier this month after the The International Criminal Court announced that it was seeking arrest warrants against the prime minister and three Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. If a warrant is issued against Netanyahu, he could risk arrest if he travels to a country recognized by the court. The US does not.
The decision to get a warrant was welcomed by some progressives as US Rep. Mark Pocan, a Democrat from Wisconsin, said he would be “more than happy to show the ICC the way to the House to issue this warrant.” . Sen. Bernie Sanders, R-Vermont, said the ICC is “doing its job.”
“Democratically elected officials can commit war crimes,” Sanders told the Senate. “We can't just apply international law when it's convenient.”
The House is working on legislation that would involve sanctions against the ICC in response.
Sanders recently told CNN in an interview that he would not attend Netanyahu's speech, which he called a “terrible idea.” Some other Democrats have also expressed opposition.
“I just don't think it's constructive for Netanyahu to address, make a joint speech at this time. Period,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, told reporters.
Before Memorial Day, Jeffries, also from New York, said the idea that Democrats are divided on the issue “is overblown.” Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, who chairs the House Democratic Caucus, added that if Netanyahu is invited to speak to Congress, “we will respect that.”
Netanyahu last addressed a joint meeting of Congress in 2015 as he tried to convince lawmakers to torpedo negotiations between the Obama administration and Iran over the regime's nuclear program.
Jaala Brown, Alan He, Nikole Killion and Ellis Kim contributed to this report.
