Netanyahu Accepts Invitation from U.S. Legislators to Speak in Congress

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, accepted the invitation from U.S. congressional leaders to speak at a joint session attended by members of the House of Representatives and the Senate on Saturday. The Israeli Prime Minister's office released a statement quoting Netanyahu, expressing his deep appreciation for the opportunity to represent his country before both chambers of the U.S. and to present 'the reality of our just war against those who seek to destroy us' to the representatives of the American people and the world. Congressional leaders from both parties officially invited the Israeli Prime Minister to speak at the joint session on Friday. The invitation was signed by Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, Chuck Schumer, Senate Majority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Leader, and Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader. The speech is expected to take place within the next eight weeks or immediately after the August recess. The Hill, which covers U.S. congressional news, reported that this invitation was sent after weeks of delay by Chuck Schumer, who had previously spoken in the Senate in March and called for early elections in Israel to replace Netanyahu. Schumer ultimately agreed and stated he was ready to facilitate Netanyahu's speech as long as it was done in a bipartisan manner. The invitation states: 'We join you in Israel's fight against terrorism, especially as Hamas continues to hold American and Israeli citizens hostage and its leaders threaten regional stability.' An informed source told the Times of Israel that Netanyahu has been eagerly discussing the potential speech in recent weeks with Republican congressional leaders and views it as an opportunity to present Israel's positions on the global stage. Netanyahu's last speech was in 2015 during Barack Obama's presidency amid nuclear negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran in a Congress controlled by Republicans, where 60 Democratic lawmakers boycotted the event in protest. In that speech, Netanyahu strongly criticized the global powers' nuclear negotiations, particularly with the United States, and expressed skepticism towards any potential agreement with Tehran. He stated, 'In the agreement that is taking shape, none of Iran's nuclear facilities will be dismantled.' This time, it is expected that more Democrats will boycott Netanyahu's speech, which occurs amid Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza. Speaking in Congress is an honor generally reserved for the closest allies of the United States. Netanyahu has spoken in the U.S. Congress three times in the past decade. American lawmakers' reactions to the Biden administration's decision to halt the shipment of certain weapons to Israel, Netanyahu's office statement following Biden's speech: Israel's proposal will end Hamas and secure the release of all hostages. The U.S. President rejected the International Criminal Court's jurisdiction to issue rulings against Israeli officials. The Israeli Chief of Staff criticized Netanyahu for failing to provide an appropriate strategy post-war for Gaza.