Israeli prime minister set to ship handle to Congress regardless of rising anger over his authorities’s abuses in Gaza.
The highest legislators in the US have issued a proper invitation for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ship a speech to Congress within the newest present of assist for Israel amid its warfare on Gaza.
The invite by Republican and Democratic leaders within the Senate and Home of Representatives on Friday got here because the Worldwide Felony Court docket considers issuing an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged warfare crimes.
“To construct on our enduring relationship and to focus on America’s solidarity with Israel, we invite you to share the Israeli authorities’s imaginative and prescient for defending democracy, combatting terror, and establishing a simply and lasting peace within the area,” the letter stated.
It didn’t specify a date for the speech.
I’m honored to ask Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to handle a joint assembly of Congress. pic.twitter.com/rYKx0Z1p93
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) Might 31, 2024
The letter was signed by Home Speaker Mike Johnson, Democratic Home chief Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer and Republican Minority Chief Mitch McConnell.
If he accepts the invitation, Netanyahu would surpass the late former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill because the overseas chief who has delivered probably the most speeches to a joint session of Congress.
Churchill – who led his nation via World Battle II and helped defeat Nazi Germany – and Netanyahu have every addressed Congress on three separate events.
Netanyahu has been dealing with international outrage over Israel’s obvious abuses in Gaza, the place the Israeli army has killed greater than 36,000 folks and destroyed massive components of the territory.
Israel has additionally imposed a strict blockade in Gaza, bringing the territory to the verge of famine.
Netanyahu’s authorities defied its Western allies, together with the US, this month by launching a serious assault in Rafah in southern Gaza, the place practically 1.5 million Palestinians had been sheltering. The offensive has displaced a million Palestinians.
An Israeli bombing of a camp for displaced folks in Rafah earlier this month killed 45 Palestinians and sparked worldwide outrage.
However the US Congress stays staunchly pro-Israel though some Democrats have been more and more essential of Netanyahu.
In March, Schumer known as for a brand new election in Israel and described Netanyahu as an impediment to peace, citing the Israeli prime minister’s opposition to the two-state resolution.
The congressional invite on Friday introduced anger from Palestinian rights advocates. Actor Cynthia Nixon known as it “shameful” in a social media publish addressing Schumer.
“Maybe Netanyahu may be arrested for his warfare crimes on the Senate ground,” she wrote.
Earlier on Friday, US President Joe Biden outlined a proposal that he stated would result in an “enduring” ceasefire in Gaza.
The three-phase plan would see the discharge of Israeli captives within the territory, in addition to tons of of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, Biden stated.
The initiative, which Biden stated was put ahead by Israel, marks a shift within the place of the US administration, which had solely sought a short lived truce whereas backing Israel’s aim of eliminating Hamas.
“President Biden understands that having this warfare drag properly previous his election is just not going to be one thing that really works for him politically,” Palestinian-American analyst Omar Baddar informed Al Jazeera.
“It’s extremely expensive and damaging for him, and I believe that because of this he’s placing his foot down at this level and inserting huge strain upon Israel to simply accept the ceasefire deal.”
