Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson said on Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will soon address a joint session of Congress amid rising tensions with President Joe Biden over Netanyahu’s handling of the Gaza war.
Johnson, a Republican congressman and critic of the Democratic president’s Israel policies, was delivering the keynote speech at the Israeli Embassy’s annual Independence Day reception and said it would be “a strong show of support for the Israeli government at a most difficult time.”
Such a speech is sure to further anger progressive Democrats who are critical of Israel’s military operation in Gaza and Biden’s support for it. Netanyahu is closely aligned with Republicans.
The diplomatic meetings in Washington come amid rising tensions between Mr Biden and Mr Netanyahu over U.S. calls for Israel to take more steps to protect Palestinian civilians in its war with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
The embassy gave equal attention to U.S. Democratic Congressman Pete Aguilar, who delivered a high-profile speech alongside Johnson at a more low-key event held in the shadow of the Gaza war.
“As Americans, we reaffirm our commitment to Israeli sovereignty,” he said.
Johnson spoke first, drawing applause as he said: “Tonight, I am pleased to announce … that we will shortly welcome Prime Minister Netanyahu to the Parliament Building for a joint session of Parliament.”
It has been customary for successive U.S. administrations to send dignitaries to Independence Day receptions.
Vice President Kamala Harris has called the situation in Gaza a “humanitarian catastrophe” in recent months and called for a ceasefire, but in a keynote speech last year she largely praised US support for Israel.
An Israeli official said the embassy thanked Congress for approving billions of dollars in new U.S. military aid this year and wanted to honor lawmakers in a bipartisan way.
Israeli officials said the reception was a scheduling conflict for the ministers, as it was being held on the same night as a White House dinner for Kenyan President William Ruto.
Several of Biden’s lower-ranking aides also attended, including Derek Cholette, an adviser to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The White House declined to comment when asked whether it had been consulted about the invitation to Netanyahu or whether Biden, who has refused to meet with the Israeli leader in the Oval Office, might meet him in Washington.
Johnson implicitly criticizes Biden
Both Johnson and Aguilar denounced the decision this week by the International Criminal Court prosecutor to seek arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Defense Secretary Yoav Gallant.
The prosecutor also sought warrants to arrest Hamas leaders responsible for the deadly Oct. 7 attack across the Israeli border that sparked the Gaza war.
Johnson said “some leaders” were trying to withhold “critical weapons” from Israel, implicitly criticizing Biden.
Biden has suspended bomb deliveries and warned he could postpone others if Netanyahu launches an all-out ground offensive on the refugee-filled southern Gaza city of Rafah, but the arms shipments have largely continued to flow.
Tight security was surrounding the National Building Museum, where the reception was held, and a small group of pro-Palestinian protesters yelled “shame on you” at guests leaving the event.
Some held up Israeli flags dyed red to represent blood, while others used megaphones to denounce Israel’s war crimes.
Johnson said on Tuesday he planned to invite Netanyahu, a right-wing leader who had a good relationship with former President Donald Trump.
Johnson, a close ally of President Trump, issued an ultimatum to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that he would only speak to the House of Representatives if he did not sign a letter asking Netanyahu to sign it.
Schumer had been open to welcoming Netanyahu into parliament despite saying in March that the prime minister had “lost his way” and calling for new elections in Israel.
Prime Minister Johnson did not specify a date or time for Netanyahu’s speech.
Addressing Congress is a rare honor usually given only to America’s closest allies.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has already delivered three speeches, most recently in 2015.
That year, Republican leaders invited him without consulting then-Democratic President Barack Obama, because Netanyahu had joined Obama in a failed attempt to block an international nuclear deal with Iran.
Dozens of Democratic lawmakers boycotted Netanyahu’s last speech, so some are expected to be absent this time.
Johnson is struggling to maintain his Republican majority in the House of Representatives and is a powerful voice in the U.S. political divide over Israel policy.
The issue has become increasingly politicized ahead of the November election in which Biden faces off against President Trump.
In contrast to the grand celebrations of the past, this year’s reception marking the 76th anniversary of the founding of Israel was billed as a “solidarity event.”
Israel is fighting to eliminate Hamas fighters who attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages, according to an Israeli tally.
Palestinian officials say more than 35,000 people have been killed in Israel’s attacks on Gaza.
