OPINION - What is worse than letting a war criminal address the US Congress?

By Serhan Afacan

- The author is assistant professor at Marmara University Institute of Middle East and Islamic Countries.

ISTANBUL (AA) - Amid the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza, Israel’s extremist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in Washington to address a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday, for the fourth time in his career, and is set to meet US President Joe Biden on Thursday. House Speaker Mike Johnson extended the invitation on March 31, 2024, “on behalf of the bipartisan leadership of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate”. However, many Democrats, including Jewish Senator Bernie Sanders, plan to boycott Netanyahu’s speech, with some considering protests from the floor. In a statement upon Netanyahu’s arrival, Sanders called him a war criminal and said he should not be welcomed into Congress.

While Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race has dominated the news cycle, which deeply inconvenienced Netanyahu, the visit itself is nonetheless a significant event as it serves to illustrate the continued contention among US lawmakers regarding ethnic cleansing in Gaza. Netanyahu appears to see this visit as political leverage against his growing number of opponents, both domestically and internationally. However, the US’s motivations are less clear. Why does the US give such credence to a warmonger and allow him to manipulate the electoral race for his own interests?

- Who will stop Netanyahu?

It is a standard practice for the US government to impose sanctions on countries and leaders it deems hostile. However, despite the International Criminal Court prosecutor’s request for an arrest warrant, Netanyahu is able to travel to the US without hindrance. Moreover, on July 23 Human Rights Watch also criticized Netanyahu’s appearance before Congress as it “highlights the continued and significant US supply of weapons to Israel’s military despite credible allegations of ongoing war crimes by Israeli forces in Gaza”. From the outset, Biden’s Gaza policy has been nothing short of a debacle. Since his visit to Israel on Oct. 18th, he has backed Netanyahu’s war machine, supplying vast amounts of weaponry and carte blanche to target and kill over 40,000 Palestinians and wound nearly 100,000—60% of whom are women, children, or the elderly. True, this aligns with the US's long-standing attitude toward Israeli actions. However, extending such protection to a figure who has consistently been a controversial presence in American politics raises questions. Thus far, Biden has failed to stop Netanyahu’s war in Gaza and to prevent him from whitewashing his genocidal actions before Congress.

It is notable that Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ prospective candidate for the presidency in the forthcoming elections, has declined to preside over Wednesday's meeting in Congress out of a conflict with a previously scheduled event in Indianapolis. But in fact, Netanyahu is regarded as a disturbing liability for the Democrats, who are attempting to distance themselves from him. However, this may be an insufficient response. The Israeli prime minister, who has disregarded calls and even a UN Security Council resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza, will nevertheless make an appearance on the Congress floor. Additionally, it is unlikely that he will promptly alter his strategy regarding the Gaza conflict. Instead, it is probable that he will rule out ceasefire and deliver a speech that is likely to be inflammatory in nature which may potentially exacerbate the situation further. In the meantime, American hostage families warned Netanyahu not to address Congress before a hostage deal is secured: “We view any speech that is not the announcement of the signing and closing of a hostage deal to be a total failure,” said Jon Polin in a press briefing with eight other relatives of American hostages. Also, a crowd has gathered outside the Watergate Hotel in Washington DC, where Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is staying, to protest his massacre and refusal of a ceasefire which will reportedly be followed by more protests call for Netanyahu’s arrest for his crimes against humanity. But none of these reactions is enough to stop Netanyahu’s bloodthirstiness. The distressing question is: how will this visit effect the situation in Gaza?

- What is next in Gaza?

Netanyahu is adept at leveraging the US presidential election processes to advance his personal interests. He knows that he is not a popular figure among many Democrats who oppose his handling of the post October 7th developments. But he also understands that they cannot risk confronting him directly with an election looming, given Trump's unconditional support for Israel. In this way, Netanyahu has placed the Democrats in a difficult dilemma by arriving in Washington having ignored the US-backed ceasefire proposal adopted by the UN Security Council on June 10. As his next move Netanyahu will try to justify his war crimes and put the blame on other actors for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. As for the Biden administration, being complicit in genocide is even worse than letting a war criminal address Congress amidst the ongoing bloodshed in Gaza.

*Opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Anadolu