All four parliamentary leaders have invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the joint session of parliament.
“I am deeply moved by the honor of representing Israel in both houses of Congress and of telling the American people and representatives of the whole world the truth of our just war against those who seek to destroy us,” Netanyahu said in accepting the invitation.
But the decision to invite Netanyahu is hardly a happy one for the Bundestag.
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One party fully supports Netanyahu, and the other does not. Indeed, Democrats who oppose inviting Netanyahu to speak at the Capitol have accused House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) of trying to divide the Democratic Party by extending the invitation.
But the Middle East war has already divided the Democratic Party. It could create a rift between progressives and pro-Israel supporters, splitting the Democratic coalition. If liberals don’t turn out to vote, President Biden could lose the election.
“Invoking Netanyahu before Congress is perhaps one of the most disturbing things Congress can do,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), the first Muslim woman elected to Congress.
“This is completely unacceptable. His crimes are being prosecuted by the ICC (International Criminal Court). The international community is talking about him starving the people of Gaza,” Omar continued. “I don’t think any leader should allow this to happen.”
UNITED STATES – JUNE 15: Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) arrives at the U.S. Capitol for the final vote of the week on Thursday, June 15, 2023. ((Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images))
But House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York signed the invitation.
“The division is overblown. Republicans have repeatedly tried and failed to make Israel a partisan, political issue to divide Democrats,” Jeffries said when asked about the furor over Netanyahu’s speech.
The Brooklyn Democrat then explained how his caucus came together to raise the debt ceiling, avert multiple government shutdown threats and help Ukraine.
Jeffries, however, did not mention the vote on the Israel Support Act in April, which the House passed 366-58, with 37 Democrats voting no.
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But unlike the majority party, Democrats are not seeking to unseat the two speaker positions this Congress.
Politics is about contrasts and perspectives, and perhaps Jeffries was trying to present a rosy view of his own party compared with the daily intra-party infighting that paralyses the majority.
“It’s all puppies and rainbows on the House Democratic caucus side,” Jeffries said, drawing laughter from reporters on Capitol Hill.
But when it comes to tensions within the Democratic Party over the Middle East situation and Netanyahu’s speech to the joint session of Congress, that is far from the case. The easy thing for Democrats who oppose Netanyahu or see him as a threat is to hold a press conference or two, sit out the speech, and stage some form of counter-protest. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said he wants Congress to “de-escalate.” But it’s hard to control the temperature unless everything is going well.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the opening ceremony of Israel’s Holocaust Memorial Day celebrations at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, in Jerusalem, May 5, 2024. REUTERS/Ronen Zvurun (REUTERS/Ronen Zvurn)
“That’s the overwhelming feeling of the Democratic leadership that anybody who comes onto the House floor, whether it’s to vote or whether someone speaks to them, should be respectful of the meeting that’s taking place there,” Aguilar said.
Netanyahu last addressed Congress in the fall of 2015. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said Netanyahu’s speeches will not ease tensions.
“I think that (his speech) was counter-constructive and his presence was counter-constructive to the U.S. goal of trying to establish a ceasefire,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “I don’t think we should be rewarding individuals who are not as focused or committed to that goal as the U.S. government.”
“She’s wrong,” Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) said when asked about Ocasio-Cortez’s comments.
So much for puppies and rainbows.
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Schneider is Jewish and one of the most staunch supporters of Israel in Congress.
“Israel is our most important ally in the Middle East and one of our best allies in the world. It’s important that all members of Congress, Democrat and Republican, come and hear the prime minister. There are many things I disagree with — the details of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s politics, his policies. I’ve been open about those. But there’s no estrangement from my commitment to support the U.S.-Israeli relationship,” Schneider said.
Regarding Ocasio-Cortez’s comments, Schneider said, “There are too many people in Congress who are closed-minded on too many issues.”
Schneider was referring to the April vote to send aid to Israel.
“They voted wrong. I think they voted with their conscience. I respect that. And I’m going to continue to convince them why I think it was a bad decision,” Schneider said. “Next time this happens, hopefully I can win the argument.”
(Tom Williams/Getty Images)
There will be another time for that, perhaps this fall when Congress tries to fund the government, or early next year when a new Congress takes office and President Biden begins his second term, or former President Trump begins his second term.
But one thing is certain: not all is well for Democrats on the Middle East, and the divide is deep enough that this issue alone could prevent them from gaining House seats and re-electing President Biden.
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Yes, that’s true. Republicans suffer from divisions, too. But given their performance over the past two years, even more serious divisions are on the horizon for Democrats if they don’t take control of the House, not to mention the possibility of former President Trump’s return. If Democrats stumble at the polls this fall, they’ll be torn apart like the limbs of a doll.
As I wrote earlier, politics is all about contrasts and perspectives, and if Republicans win this fall, they’ll be able to look back on this period for Democrats as a time of “puppies and rainbows” compared to what’s to come.
