Netanyahu's upcoming address to Congress faces boycott, mass protests

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to address the US Congress on Wednesday, which is expected to draw crowds of protesters and face a boycott by several Democratic lawmakers.

At least 21 Democratic lawmakers including Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Chris Van Hollen as well as Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib have announced that they will boycott the speech.

Netanyahu's speech to a joint session of Congress comes in response to an invitation that was initially extended by House Speaker Mike Johnson.

The formal invitation letter came on May 31, signed by Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Netanyahu's address will mark his fourth speech before the legislative body, more than any other world leader, including former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who addressed Congress three times.

"No, Netanyahu should not be welcomed into the U.S. Congress. On the contrary, his policies in Gaza and the West Bank and his refusal to support a two-state solution should be roundly condemned," Sanders said in a statement announcing his decision to boycott the Israeli prime minister's speech.

"As I stated last month, I will not be attending his address," he added.

Van Hollen said it was a "big mistake" to invite Netanyahu to address Congress, adding he will not attend his speech.

"The actions and words of Prime Minister Netanyahu and his ultra-right extremist coalition, both before and since the Oct. 7 attacks, have weakened the ties between the United States and Israel," he said in a speech Tuesday on the Senate Floor.

Noting that Netanyahu is the leader of the most "extreme, right-wing government coalition in the history of Israel,” he said it sends a "terrible message" to bring him to the US right now.

Last week at a pro-Israel event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, House Republican leader Mike Johnson criticized Democratic lawmakers who planned to protest Netanyahu’s address to Congress.

"There’s a number of Democrats in the House who have said they are going to boycott the event, and then some others are going to protest," he said. "We’re going to have extra sergeants at arms on the floor, and if anybody gets out of hand, the Speaker of the House will bang the gavel. We’re going to arrest people if we have to do it.”

Several Democratic Congress members, including Sanders, have previously urged Biden to halt unfettered military aid to Israel. In May, the Biden administration paused a shipment of weapons, including controversial 2,000-pound bombs, which the president said killed civilians in Gaza.

Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, which killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures.

More than 39,000 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and nearly 90,000 injured, according to Gaza health authorities.

Adding to the controversy is a move by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to seek an arrest warrant against Netanyahu related to alleged war crimes committed during his tenure. Israeli media reported that Netanyahu decided against stopping in any other country en route to Washington to avoid the risk of an ICC arrest warrant.

- Gaza cease-fire talks

Netanyahu landed in Washington on Monday afternoon, where he will also have several meetings, including with President Joe Biden.

He will meet Biden at the White House on Thursday and will be hosted by former president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at his Florida residence on Friday.

The focus of the meeting between Biden and Netanyahu will be a Gaza cease-fire and hostage swap deal, according to White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

US officials have recently expressed optimism about a possible cease-fire deal, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying: "We're inside the 10-yard line." Biden also said Monday that “I think we’re on the verge” of ending the war.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who serves as president of the Senate, will not preside over Netanyahu's speech to Congress, citing a previously-scheduled presidential campaign event in Indianapolis.

Harris will reportedly hold a separate bilateral meeting with the Israeli prime minister this week at the White House, although it has not been officially confirmed yet.

Ohio Senator JD Vance, who is Trump's running mate, will also skip Netanyahu's address due to campaign-related events.

- Netanyahu's controversial 2015 speech

Netanyahu’s previous address to Congress was on March 3, 2015, during which he criticized the Iran nuclear deal under negotiation by the Obama administration, saying it is "so bad.”

In his 2015 address, Netanyahu warned against the Iran nuclear deal, arguing that it would not prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He urged the US to reject the deal and maintain pressure on Iran.

Some 58 members of Congress boycotted Netanyahu's 2015 speech.

Sullivan said Friday he believes Netanyahu's speech "will be one that doesn't look like 2015" but more reflective of circumstances of today.

- Mass protests expected

Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to gather outside the US Capitol on Wednesday ahead of Netanyahu's speech, organized by anti-war and pro-Palestinian groups including the ANSWER Coalition, the People’s Forum, Jewish Voice for Peace, Code Pink, the US Palestinian Community Network and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

In response, security around the Capitol will be heightened due to the expected demonstrations.

"Any member of Congress who attends and applauds the speech by the genocidal, racist war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu will irreparably damage their reputation and legacy," CAIR said in a statement, calling for a mass protest of Netanyahu's visit.

“It is imperative that our elected officials stand on the right side of history and boycott a foreign leader who has shown blatant disregard for human rights and numerous American presidents," CAIR added.