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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address Congress on Wednesday – seeking to shore up American support for his war in Gaza and redirect the attention of a nation that has been preoccupied for weeks by a stream of domestic political issues.
Netanyahu’s address to Congress comes at a crucial crossroads for the war. US officials have voiced optimism about the prospects of a deal that could free Hamas-held hostages and bring the conflict to an end. Meanwhile, the bulk of the nation’s attention has been focused since last month on discussions surrounding President Joe Biden’s age and mental abilities – which eventually culminated in Biden announcing over the weekend that he would step down from the Democratic ticket – along with the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and the Republican National Convention.
It also comes as many on the left have become increasingly dissatisfied with the way Netanyahu has waged the war, which has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians and left Gaza in the grips of a humanitarian catastrophe.
Some members of Congress have said they will not attend Netanyahu’s speech, either as a protest of the war or due to previously scheduled events.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who is now the presumptive Democratic nominee, will not preside in her constitutional role as president of the Senate during Netanyahu’s address; Harris will be in Indianapolis Wednesday, and she is expected to meet separately with Netanyahu later this week.
Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, also declined to preside over the speech.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent of Vermont who caucuses with the Democrats, said he will skip the address in protest of the “total war” Netanyahu’s government has waged in Gaza.
“No. Netanyahu should not be welcomed into the United States Congress,” Sanders said in a statement. “On the contrary, his policies in Gaza and the West Bank and his refusal to support a two-state solution should be roundly condemned.”
Biden is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu on Thursday.
Biden’s relationship with Netanyahu has grown steadily colder as the war in Gaza has lagged on and as the death toll in the beleaguered enclave continues to rise. Both leaders have known each other for decades, but have traded not-so-subtle barbs at each other as their disagreements with the war’s future have spilled into the public.
Biden has said that Israel has reached its stated goal, described the country’s actions in Gaza as “over the top,” and plainly stated his desire for the war to end. The president has said it is “uncertain” whether Israel had committed war crimes. He has also hinted that he believes Netanyahu is dragging out the war only for the sake of his own political survival.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, has accused the United States of “withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel,” claims that American officials flatly rejected.
After arriving in Washington earlier this week, Netanyahu met with some American relatives of hostages held by Hamas. Not all participants were pleased with how that meeting ended.
Former President Donald Trump and Netanyahu will also meet Friday at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump announced Tuesday.
CNN’s Jeremy Diamond and Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.
