House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu exchanged gifts Wednesday during the longtime Israeli leader’s visit to the U.S. Capitol.
Netanyahu was in Washington to address a joint session of Congress for the fourth time since 1996, but the speech was a controversial one that divided Democrats and inflamed political tensions, despite his call for unity with Israel amid the country’s war with Hamas.
But before the roughly 50-minute speech, the two exchanged gifts, as is customary when foreign leaders visit Washington.
Johnson presented Netanyahu with a collection of documents and letters from the National Archives that he had never seen, the Speaker’s office told The Hill, including a letter to former President Dwight Eisenhower from Netanyahu’s father, Benzion Netanyahu, a historian who worked to rally support for a Jewish state in the United States.
Johnson also presented the prime minister with a condolence telegram prepared but not sent by the White House after the death of one of Netanyahu’s brothers, and a notecard used and written by former President Gerald Ford when he received an award honoring Netanyahu’s brother, Yonatan Netanyahu, who was commander of Israel’s special forces, Sayeret Matkal.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu presented Johnson with a sculpture of a dove flying over Israel made from debris collected during the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the speaker’s office said in a statement.
Netanyahu’s speech to parliament, which lasted about 50 minutes, sparked controversy on Capitol Hill, with Republicans and staunchly pro-Israel Democrats praising the remarks but pro-Palestinian liberals condemning the prime minister’s controversial comments.
The rift is emblematic of tensions in Washington over the Gaza war, which began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.
In his speech, Netanyahu discussed the details of the deadly attack, criticized the anti-Israel protests that have erupted across the country, warned of the Iranian threat and called for the United States to unite in support of Israel.
Netanyahu thanked Johnson and other congressional leaders for inviting him to speak to Congress on Wednesday and stressed the importance of the friendly relationship between the United States and Israel.
“On this day almost 2,000 years ago, the Romans breached the walls of Jerusalem. But today, our enemies cannot breach our walls,” Netanyahu told reporters before speaking alongside Johnson. “Our walls are not built by our soldiers and our brave heroes alone, but by our friendship and alliance with the great United States of America.”
“That is very well expressed here today and I thank you for this opportunity, and the Israeli people thank you for giving us this opportunity to express our common alliance,” he added.
Johnson agreed, saying, “Americans must stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel in its great struggle.”
