By Patricia Zengerle and Matt Spetalnick
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Dozens of Democratic lawmakers skipped Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on Wednesday, expressing dismay over the hundreds of civilian deaths and the humanitarian disaster from Israel’s marketing campaign in Gaza.
Hundreds of demonstrators took to streets close to the Capitol to protest Netanyahu’s look amid the tightest safety for the reason that Jan. 6, 2021, assault. The Capitol constructing was surrounded by excessive fencing, with a heavy police presence.
Given a standing ovation on his arrival, the longtime Israeli chief delivered his speech to a joint assembly of the Senate and Home of Representatives in a metropolis preoccupied with home politics.
“America and Israel must stand together,” Netanyahu stated as he started his speech.
President Joe Biden introduced on Sunday that he was ending his reelection bid and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic presidential nomination to problem Republican Donald Trump.
It was a report fourth speech by a international chief to a joint assembly of the Senate and Home of Representatives, passing British wartime chief Winston Churchill, who made three.
Simply earlier than he spoke, the U.S. Capitol police reported that a few of the protests just a few blocks from the constructing had develop into violent, prompting them to make use of pepper spray.
His remarks have been anticipated to concentrate on coordinating the Israeli and U.S. response to the unstable state of affairs within the Center East, the place there’s a rising hazard of the Gaza conflict spilling over right into a wider regional battle.
He was additionally anticipated to name for stronger motion towards Iran, which helps Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, each militant teams preventing Israel, and has drawn elevated U.S. condemnation over its latest nuclear advances.
Republican leaders in Congress orchestrated the go to, however it was prone to be much less confrontational than in 2015 when Republicans sidestepped then-President Barack Obama, a Democrat, and Netanyahu used his speech to criticize Obama’s Iran coverage.
This time, Netanyahu will search to bolster his conventional hyperlinks to Republicans but additionally look to ease tensions with Biden, a Democrat whose assist he’ll depend on for the remaining six months of the president’s time period.
SOME LAWMAKERS STAY AWAY
Some lawmakers stated they have been uncomfortable about showing to endorse Netanyahu and his hard-right coalition authorities as he faces declining ballot numbers in Israel.
Others stated they needed Netanyahu to concentrate on reaching a ceasefire settlement and bringing residence all the hostages seized by Hamas on Oct. 7, within the lethal raid that precipitated the Israeli marketing campaign in Gaza.
“For him, this is all about shoring up his support back home, which is one of the reasons I don’t want to attend,” Senator Chris Van Hollen instructed reporters. “I don’t want to be part of a political prop in this act of deception. He is not the great guardian of the U.S.-Israel relationship.”
A Republican Home member, Consultant Thomas Massie, additionally stated he wouldn’t attend. “The purpose of having Netanyahu address Congress is to bolster his political standing in Israel and to quell int’l opposition to his war. I don’t feel like being a prop so I won’t be attending,” Massie wrote on X.
Among the most outstanding Democrats skipped the speech. They included Senators Dick Durbin, the chamber’s No. 2 Democrat, Tim Kaine, Jeff Merkley and Brian Schatz, all members of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee, in addition to Patty Murray, who chairs Senate Appropriations.
Within the Home, absentees have been to incorporate progressive Representatives Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in addition to Ami Bera and Joaquin Castro, senior members of the Overseas Affairs Committee, Adam Smith, the highest Democrat on Armed Providers and Rosa DeLauro, his counterpart on the appropriations committee.
Smith stated he by no means attends joint conferences but additionally described himself on Tuesday as “very, very opposed to what Prime Minister Netanyahu is doing in Israel.”
Harris, who usually would preside over the speech as vice chairman, is not going to be attending. Neither will Republican Senator JD (NASDAQ:) Vance, Trump’s vice presidential operating mate.
Murray would have presided, because the senior Senate Democrat, in Harris’ absence. Democratic Senator Ben Cardin, who leads the international relations committee, will substitute her.
Biden and Harris will each meet Netanyahu on Thursday, and are anticipated to press him for progress towards a ceasefire and hostage-release take care of Hamas. Harris has at instances been extra forward-leaning than her boss in criticizing Israel for heavy Palestinian civilian casualties in Gaza.
Netanyahu was to journey to Florida to fulfill with Trump on Friday. The assembly shall be their first for the reason that finish of Trump’s presidency, throughout which the 2 cast shut ties.