Senate Democrat No. 2: I Would Not Have Invited Netanyahu to Address Congress

Senate Democratic Leader Dick Durbin (Ill.), the second-ranking Democratic leader in the Senate, said Tuesday that he would not have invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak at a joint meeting of Congress.

Durbin broke ranks with the top four congressional leaders — House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.), House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.) ) and Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell (R. -Ky.) – who invited Netanyahu on May 31 to address Congress.

“I have been waiting for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to adopt a two-state solution, which I believe is the only way forward in Israel,” Durbin told reporters.

“I would not have sent the invitation letter,” he said when asked whether Netanyahu should speak to Congress.

“Until he adopts a two-state solution, I don’t think we can realistically expect this conflict to end,” Durbin said.

A tentative plan for Netanyahu to speak to lawmakers on June 13, while President Biden was scheduled to be in Italy for a summit, was scrapped on Monday because it falls on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot.

Progressives ranging from Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) to Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) have criticized Republicans for leading pressure to invite Netanyahu to the Capitol.

Netanyahu over the weekend largely ignored a peace plan put forward by President Biden, saying the conditions for ending the war in Gaza “have not changed.”

Biden said in a May 28 interview with Time magazine that there is “every reason” to believe Netanyahu is prolonging the war to stay in power.

Netanyahu earlier this year rejected calls for the creation of a Palestinian state, warning that it would pose a threat to Israeli security.

“I will not compromise full control of Israeli security over all territory west of Jordan – and this is contrary to a Palestinian state,” he posted on the social network X in January.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story