Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is expected to join House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress.
Only weeks ago, the New York Democrat called for new elections in Israel – implying Netanyahu should be removed from power over his conduct of the war against Hamas – with supposed approval from the White House.
According to Johnson, Schumer ignored his draft invitation to Netanyahu for “probably a month.” All that changed this week.
“I sent a letter draft, because it's a bicameral invitation letter, it's been sitting on Chuck Schumer's desk. As far as I know he has not cosigned it yet,” Johnson said.
However, Schumer's office has announced that he is now prepared to agree and sign on.
“He intends to join the invitation, the timing is being worked out,” the Senate leader's spokesperson confirmed.
As The Hill reports:
Netanyahu's visit — if it does materialize — is sure to spark outrage among liberals, who have strongly criticized the prime minister's handling of the Israel-Hamas war and the growing number of civilian deaths in the Gaza Strip.
It comes as nationwide pro-Palestinian protests have caused chaos on college campuses and made many Jewish students feel threatened.
WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE
It will also come amid a tense moment in the relationship between Schumer — the highest-ranking Jewish official in U.S. history — and Netanyahu, after the Senate leader called for new elections in Israel to replace the longtime conservative leader.
Schumer in a speech on the Senate floor said Netanyahu had “lost his way,” comments that the Israeli prime minister called “totally inappropriate.”
Johnson first floated the idea of inviting Netanyahu to the Capitol in March, after it was brought up during a closed-door House GOP conference meeting. The next day, however, he said he would “certainly” extend an invitation.
Shortly after, Johnson announced on CNBC's “Squawk Box” that he would love to have Netanyahu address a joint session of Congress.
At the time, Schumer's office claimed that the Senate leader would “always welcome the opportunity for the Prime Minister of Israel to speak to Congress in a bipartisan way.”
“Israel has no stronger ally than the United States and our relationship transcends any one president or any one Prime Minister,” Schumer added.
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