Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address a joint session of the U.S. Congress for the fourth time in his political career.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address a joint session of the U.S. Congress on the afternoon of July 24.
The speech will be Mr. Netanyahu’s fourth time formally addressing both houses of Congress, the most of any one foreign leader. This time, the Israeli leader will speak as his country continues to fight the longest war of its history in an effort to destroy Hamas and recover hostages the terror group abducted to the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7.
Mr. Netanyahu’s visit comes at a dynamic moment, amid signs of a burgeoning peace plan and shakeups in the U.S. presidential race.
On July 19, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced an Israel–Hamas cease-fire deal was “in the 10-yard line” of completion. Later that same day, White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan indicated President Joe Biden intended to meet with Mr. Netanyahu ahead of the Israeli leader’s congressional address. President Biden suspended his 2024 re-election campaign two days later, on July 21.
Rather than meeting with the Israeli leader before his congressional address, President Biden’s schedule now indicates he will meet with Mr. Netanyahu on July 25, the day after the congressional address.
The White House has announced President Biden and Mr. Netanyahu will follow up their one-on-one conversation with a meeting with the families of Americans held by Hamas. There are eight Americans still being held in the Gaza Strip.
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U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak prior to their statements and meeting in Tel Aviv on Oct. 18, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian terror group Hamas. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
With his decision to drop out of the race, President Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the next president. Mr. Netanyahu’s visit comes as Vice President Harris suddenly assumed new responsibilities at the top of a presidential ticket. The vice president will travel in Indiana and Texas on July 24 and will not attend Mr. Netanyahu’s address.
The White House has said Vice President Harris plans to meet with Mr. Netanyahu later this week but hasn’t confirmed a date and time as of the afternoon of July 23.
Former President Donald Trump has announced his own plans to host the Israeli prime minister at his Mar-a-Lago home and resort in Florida on July 26. The meeting would come just over a week after the former president locked up the Republican party’s endorsement for his bid to retake the White House.
“I am leaving this morning on a very important trip to the United States at a time when Israel is fighting on seven fronts and when there is great political uncertainty in Washington,” Mr. Netanyahu said before departing Israel on July 22.
The Israeli leader arrived in the United States later that day and met in the evening with representatives of family members of hostages living in the United States. During that meeting, he offered assurances to the family representatives that the conditions “are becoming ripe” for the return of the hostages.
Israeli Leader Faces Protests, Boycotts
Mr. Netanyahu is facing some opposition ahead of the speech.
Dozens of red shirt-wearing demonstrators were seen at the Cannon House Office building on the U.S. Capitol on the afternoon of July 23, ahead of the address. The protesters gathered on the floor with banners reading“Jews Say Stop Arming Israel,” “Jews to Biden: Stop Arming Israel,” and “Let Gaza Live,” among other messages. U.S. Capitol Police officers began to lead the protesters away in handcuffs as they refused to leave the building.
Demonstrators from Jewish Voice For Peace are taken into custody as they protest the war in Gaza at the Canon House Building in Washington on July 23, 2024. (Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images)
Capitol Police have announced extra officers will be stationed around the capitol during the address. Capitol Police plan to block off several streets around the capitol on Wednesday.
Some lawmakers, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), have criticized Mr. Netanyahu’s handling of the ongoing Gaza conflict and have indicated they will boycott his address. Mr. Sanders went so far as to express support for the International Criminal Court to prosecute Mr. Netanyahu over war crimes allegations arising from the conflict.
“Netanyahu should not be welcomed into the United States 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,” Mr. Sanders wrote in a July 22 press statement“.
Sen. Chris Van Holland (D-Md.) said during a July 23 Senate floor speech that he considers himself a “strong supporter of the U.S.-Israel relationship” but said Mr. Netanyahu was damaging that relationship and he too would skip the congressional address.
Republican Leaders Tout Netanyahu Address
While Mr. Netanyahu has faced a mixed reception from Democratic and independent lawmakers, Republican congressional leaders have welcomed his visit and stressed its significance.
“House Republicans will always stand with Israel and will not rest until every hostage kidnapped during the horrific October 7th Hamas terrorist attacks is returned home,” House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) said at a July 23 press conference.
Ms. Stefanik said House Republicans have repeatedly voted in favor of sending more military aid to Israel. She said that “far-left” elements within the Democratic Party were turning against Israel.
During that same press conference, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said the United States and Israel must remain united to recover the hostages and “stand against our common enemies.” Mr. Johnson further accused some Democrats, including Vice President Harris, of “making political calculations” with their decisions not to attend Mr. Netanyahu’s address, all while Israel is “fighting for its very survival.”
