Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak to Congress on June 13, according to a person familiar with the planning, as President Joe Biden pushes both the allied country and Hamas to agree to the terms of a permanent ceasefire.
The four leaders of Congress issued the joint invitation on Friday and Netanyahu accepted over the weekend.
Democrats have been split over support for Israel since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, with many liberals lambasting Netanyahu’s harsh tactics in a war that has led to tens of thousands of deaths in Palestine. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), an outspoken progressive, said he wouldn’t attend the prime minister’s address.
“Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal,” Sanders said in a statement over the weekend. “He should not be invited to address a joint meeting of Congress. I certainly will not attend.”
Meanwhile, Biden is pushing a permanent ceasefire agreement that Israel’s war cabinet proposed against Netanyahu’s wishes. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Sunday that if Hamas accepts the deal to end the Gaza war, he expects Israel to accept the plan, too.
If Netanyahu follows through on the joint address, as expected, Biden would not be in the U.S. during his speech. The president is due to attend the G-7 Summit in Italy during that time.
