House Speaker Mike Johnson is reportedly thinking about extending an invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak before Congress. This comes in the wake of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer delivering a firmly stated speech last week, in which he criticized Netanyahu.
Netanyahu is scheduled to give a virtual address at the Senate Republican lunch on Wednesday. According to Axios, multiple sources in the room revealed that the idea was discussed at a closed-door Republican Conference meeting on Wednesday morning.
Mike Johnson to Invite Netanyahu to Speak in US Congress
"It's one of the things that we have in mind and we may try to arrange for that. I think it's very important for us to show solidarity and support with Israel right now in their time of great struggle and we certainly stand for that position and we'll try to advance that in any way we can," Johnson told the reporters.
The possibility of including Netanyahu in the discussion arises amidst a current impasse in providing further military assistance to Israel in Congress. In November, the House approved a separate bill providing military aid to Israel.
There has been a longstanding tradition in Congress of bipartisan support for Israel. However, lawmakers on the left are expressing growing concerns about Netanyahu's approach to the war in Gaza, which has resulted in a significant loss of life in the territory.
Chuck Schumer vs. Benjamin Netanyahu
Schumer has expressed firm support for Israel's right to defend itself following the devastating attack by Hamas, which resulted in a significant loss of lives. Notably, in his Senate address, he did not advocate for a permanent cease-fire, a stance that some liberals have been advocating for.
However, the Democratic leader did not hold back in his criticism of Netanyahu. Schumer expressed his concerns about Netanyahu's recent actions, pointing to the ongoing political and legal challenges he is facing.
Schumer claimed that Netanyahu's management of the war had resulted in a loss of international support for Israel and posed a potential for additional damage.
However, the Senate did not move forward with the bill due to the House's decision to offset the cost by making cuts to the IRS. In February, the Senate approved a bill providing aid to Ukraine and Israel.
There has been no progress in bringing this legislation to a vote in the chamber. Meanwhile, House Republicans have been considering various alternatives for providing aid to other countries.
In a recent statement, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell expressed his disagreement with Schumer's remarks regarding Netanyahu. McConnell emphasized the importance of the US maintaining a respectful distance from Israeli politics.
"Israel's government and unity war cabinet report to the Israeli people, not the US Senate. America rightly rejects foreign interference in our own democratic politics. And we owe it to our friends and allies to stay out of theirs," said McConnell.
Usually, foreign leaders are invited by both House and Senate leadership to address joint sessions of Congress. However, Schumer's criticism of Netanyahu suggests that the top Senate Democrat is not interested in extending an invitation.
Johnson may consider extending an invitation to the Israeli Prime Minister to speak exclusively at the House. However, the speaker mentioned that they have not yet discussed the logistical details, USA Today reported.
