Netanyahu will address Congress for the first time since the October 7 attack on Israel

WASHINGTON — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to address a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday afternoon, the first since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel killed 1,200 people and resulted in the taking of hostages to Gaza, where It is believed that around 100 are still held hostage.

Netanyahu’s speech at 2 p.m. ET comes at a critical time: The U.S. is in the middle of a chaotic election year and the Biden administration continues to push negotiators toward a ceasefire agreement that could end the war in Gaza, where the death toll has surpassed nearly 30,000 people, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health.

“In my speech, I will emphasize the importance of bipartisan support for Israel, I will address our friends on both sides of the map and tell them that regardless of who is chosen to lead the American people after the presidential election, Israel is the United States’ most important ally in the Middle East, an irreplaceable ally,” Netanyahu said before leaving for the United States, according to his office.

He added: “I think in this time of war and uncertainty, it is of the utmost importance that our enemies know that the US and Israel stand together – today, tomorrow and forever.”

Netanyahu was originally invited by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to speak to Congress amid the protests and encampments that formed on college campuses this spring.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who as president of the Senate would normally preside over such an event, will not attend. Nor have several other prominent Democrats. Instead, Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., an Orthodox Jew and chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, will preside over the speech.

Harris is scheduled to be in Indianapolis on Wednesday as she embarks on her presidential campaign now that President Joe Biden has dropped out of the race.

Johnson said Tuesday that it is “inexcusable” that Harris is omitting Netanyahu’s speech and that she should be “held accountable” for it.

Harris and Biden are expected to meet separately with Netanyahu during his visit to Washington this week. Biden and Netanyahu are also expected to meet at the White House on Thursday with relatives of American hostages still held in Gaza, a source familiar with the matter said. On Friday morning, Netanyahu is expected to meet with former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, his residence in Palm Beach, Florida.

While Netanyahu will likely receive a warm welcome from Republican lawmakers, he will be more lukewarm from Democrats, some of whom have said they plan to boycott his speech.

More than two dozen Democrats in the House and Senate have said they plan to ignore it, including Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin of Illinois and Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina. Progressives like Rep. Ilhan Omar, “Squad” member Minnesota Democrat and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Democrat, are also skipping the speech, as are several Jewish members of Congress, including Sen. Bernie Sanders. , I-Vt., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii. Those who opt for the boycott are outraged by the way Israel handled the war in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there.

“Hamas’ attack on October 7 was unprovoked and cowardly, and the continued hostage holding was unjust,” Durbin said in a statement. wounded is a brutal strategy that goes beyond any acceptable level of self-defense. … I will support Israel, but I will not support and applaud its current Prime Minister at tomorrow’s Joint Session.”

Notably, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., Senate president pro tempore and another candidate to oversee a joint meeting of Congress, will also not attend. “Securing a mutual and lasting ceasefire is of the utmost importance at this time, and I will continue to press for a ceasefire to be reached as quickly as possible,” Murray said in a statement. “I hope Prime Minister Netanyahu will take the opportunity to address how he plans to ensure a ceasefire – and lasting peace in the region.”

The chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who also did not attend, said Tuesday that she does not think Netanyahu is interested in peace in the Middle East.

“He certainly had no interest in bringing hostage families home,” Jayapal said. “I think he – he may be defending Donald Trump, but, you know, this is at the expense of the security of Israel, at the expense of the security of the Palestinians and at the expense of peace, more broadly, in the Middle East and certainly in the cost of bringing home the families of the hostages who are there, including the eight American hostages who still remain.”

Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., the first Gen Z member of Congress, will also boycott the speech. “I hate [Netanyahu’s] leadership. I think what’s happening in Gaza is horrible,” Frost said on Tuesday. “He opposes a two-state solution, which is what we stand for as a country — it’s the policy of our country. I don’t think he should have been invited in the first place.”

The top two lawmakers from each party — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, DN.Y.; and Johnson – are all participating in a meeting with Netanyahu ahead of his speech.

Representative Jared Moskowitz, Democrat of Florida, an ardent supporter of Israel who is present, said he wanted to hear from Netanyahu about how he plans to bring the hostages home and what to do with Iran.

Netanyahu last spoke to Congress in March 2015, and this speech, his fourth as prime minister, is expected to draw “a large number of protesters”, according to the US Capitol Police, who said they have reinforced security measures in anticipation of protests, including building the same fence around the Capitol that was used after the January 6, 2021 attack. The department also swore in more than 200 New York police officers to help police this week’s events in Washington , according to Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry, who shared a video of taking possession of X.

In anticipation of the speech, more than 200 Jewish Voice for Peace protesters were arrested after demonstrating in one of the House office buildings on Tuesday and chanting pro-Palestinian slogans, Capitol Police said.

More than two dozen former senior officials who worked in Israel’s security system – such as the Mossad and the Shin Bet – and Israeli companies also expressed opposition to Netanyahu’s speech before Congress. In a letter addressed to congressional leaders, obtained Tuesday by NBC News, they said they have “grave concerns” about the “damage” that Netanyahu’s visit will cause to the joint goals of the US and Israel. The letter’s signatories include former Mossad Director Tamir Pardo, former Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, and former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz, among others, some of whom worked under the leadership of Netanyahu.

The Biden administration continued to work behind the scenes to try to reach a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Secretary of State Antony Blinken appeared to express some optimism late last week when he said negotiators were “heading toward the goal line.”