U.S. House Speaker Republican Mike Johnson announced Thursday evening that Netanyahu will soon deliver a speech before a joint session of Congress, despite rising tensions between U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding his handling of the war in Gaza. He added during a speech at an annual event for the Israeli embassy that this would be "a strong indication of support for the Israeli government at a time when it needs it most."
Such a move is certain to increase the anger of some Democrats who have increasingly criticized the Israeli military campaign in Gaza and Biden's support for it. This diplomatic gathering comes amid tensions between Biden and Netanyahu over the U.S. effort to urge Israel to do more to protect Palestinian civilians during the war, which it says it is waging against Hamas fighters in Gaza.
The embassy equally highlighted a speech by Democratic U.S. Representative Pete Aguilar, who participated alongside Johnson in the high-profile event, which was one of the quietest gatherings since the start of the war on Gaza. He stated that U.S. support for Israel is "steel-like."
Johnson, who spoke first to applause from the pro-Israel audience, said, "I am pleased tonight to announce something else. We will soon host Prime Minister Netanyahu at the Capitol for a joint session of Congress." Successive U.S. administrations typically send a senior official to such events, reflecting Israel's status as Washington's most important ally in the Middle East.
