The Netanyahu speech puts Democrats in a difficult position
Republicans are excited about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday afternoon, while most Democrats, if any, are dreading the event and will be attending with apprehension.
An impressive shift to the once-vaunted U.S.-Israel special relationship will be evident when the elected leader of Israel arrives at a Capitol Hill complex with a significantly increased security presence and barricades to keep out the numerous anti-war and religious groups planning to protest his speech.
In that regard, Congress has historically been at the forefront, and both Democratic and Republican administrations have had to make constant progress to catch up with and enact a wide range of pro-Israel measures. These rules cover the placement of the U.S. embassy, the provision of extensive arms assistance, and the manner in which the U.S. government interacts with and supports the Palestinians.
But Democrats find things more difficult now that the Gaza War is still going on. Netanyahu’s speech has been mocked by opponents in the US and Israel for being a publicity gimmick intended to boost his own flagging electoral fortunes at home.
Tens of thousands of Israelis protested his multiday journey to Washington over the weekend by taking to the streets in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Israeli demonstrators said Netanyahu should be spending his time working toward a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, the terrorist Palestinian organization, which may lead to the release of all Israeli hostages still held captive. They accused Netanyahu of squandering time on the U.S. visit.
Netanyahu’s speech would be historic and come at a critical juncture, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana.
Johnson stated at a press conference on Tuesday, “We are united to stand against our common enemies and we are united in our common cause to bring the hostages home.” It is imperative to acknowledge that Israel is not operating in a vacuum, given the growing hostility of Iran and its allies, such as Hezbollah and the Houthis. Standing with our closest ally in the Middle East is more crucial now than it has ever been.
For foreign governments, invitations to speak before Congress are a very valuable diplomatic advantage. More than any other world leader, Netanyahu will be making his fourth speech to Congress this coming week.
Among them is the former prime minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill, who spoke before Congress in three separate joint sessions, two of which were held during the bleak and dangerous last stages of World War II. At the moment, Netanyahu is among the least popular leaders in the world.
In addition to potentially facing an imminent indictment by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to his management of the nine-month conflict in Gaza, Netanyahu’s protracted domestic corruption prosecution is still ongoing.
Israel is believed to have murdered around 39,000 Palestinians in the besieged enclave, according to the Health Ministry, which is managed by Hamas. The casualty toll provided by the ministry, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in the Gaza conflict, is generally acknowledged by news outlets and international organizations as accurate.
Harris is not in charge
Notably, when Netanyahu addresses Congress, Johnson will not preside with her on the dais behind Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris.
Harris will instead be in Indianapolis on Wednesday to deliver the keynote address at a conference organized by Zeta Phi Beta, a historically Black sorority. The White House’s planned move to cancel the weeks-long Netanyahu address is interpreted as a statement about the deteriorating relations with Netanyahu and his far-right government, which were already tense before Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7.
A U.S. official has said that President Joe Biden’s scheduled meeting at the White House on Tuesday has been rescheduled for this Thursday. The president is expected to recuperate from a recent COVID-19 illness and return to Washington on Tuesday afternoon.
Johnson called Harris’ decision to miss Netanyahu’s speech “outrageous and inexcusable.”
Although Harris’s absence is not being described by the White House as a boycott, numerous other Democrats have made it known that they intend to skip Netanyahu’s speech.
Legislators who have declared they will not be attending are numerous and include Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray, D-Wash.; Senators Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; Tim Kaine, D-Va.; Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.; and former No. 3 House Democratic leader James E. Clyburn, D-S.C. A complete list of those lawmakers was not immediately available on Tuesday.
58 Democratic members abstained from Netanyahu’s 2015 speech at a joint session of Congress, viewing it as a partisan and derogatory jab at then-President Barack Obama’s attempts to conclude talks on an international nuclear agreement with Iran. Given the general Democratic indignation at his government’s handling of the Gaza War, that number is probably going to be much higher when he comes to the Hill on Wednesday.
The invitation is “an act of political gamesmanship that is not really an act of statesmanship,” according to Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of the liberal pro-Israel organization J Street.
That is the intended purpose of these remarks. Ben-Ami stated that it ought to be saved for the world’s Winston Churchills during dire times. According to his “track record and all of his activities, the real motivation behind this is political, either to give himself a boost back home or to drive a wedge in the Democratic party.”
Additional expressions of assistance
On Wednesday, Democrats eager to express their support for Israel but not Netanyahu are planning substitute activities. This includes a meeting arranged by Clyburn with the families of the Israeli hostages; other ranking members of the House include Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Mark Takano of California, and House Rules ranking member Jim McGovern.
Other legislators, including Representative Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), also plan to visit with the members of the Israeli family.
Johnson has threatened to have Democrats arrested if they choose to attend the event but chose to demonstrate against it in some fashion.
Additional sergeants-at-arms will be stationed on the ground. At a gathering hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition last week, the speaker threatened to arrest individuals if they got out of control.
That was described as “a threat on the First Amendment” by Handverger.
Democratic members are being urged by more moderate pro-Israel groups, such Democratic Majority for Israel, to hold their noses and finish the speech in order to prevent furthering public perceptions of how far apart the party has become on support for Israel.
“When Donald Trump came to speak before Congress [for his State of the Union addresses], Democrats sat and listened to what he had to say over and over again,” DMFI President Mark Mellman remarked. “I don’t believe that listening to him is the same as supporting him, either.”
Mellman predicted that Netanyahu would instead strike a tone of unity and gratitude for the significant diplomatic and military support the Biden administration has given to Israel, calling it a “serious mistake” for the prime minister to use his speech to take “potshots” at Democrats.
