House Democrats Pushing Back Against 'Divisive' Netanyahu Speech To Congress

Authorized by Brett Wilkins via Common Dreams,

A increasing number of U.S. congressional Democrats pushed back Friday against force to endorse home talker Mike Johnson’s invitation for Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress—even as his government stands acknowledged of genecide in a planet Court case and he faces the possible of an global Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged crime against humanity in Gaza.

Opposition to Johnson’s (R-La.) invitation—which the talker formally announced Thursday—has been mounting following news that ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan applied for warrants to arrest Netanyahu and Israel defence Minister Yoav Gallant and 3 Hamas leaders for alleged crime committed on and after October 7 and Friday’s global Court of Justice order for Israel to immediately hat its assets on Rafah.

While there is any question over who legislature Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) will endorse a Netanyahu congressional address—with Johnson tellingThe Independent on Wednesday that Schumer said he’d sign the invitation letter—mainstream Democrats are sharing the Chorus of calls from progressive lawmakers and campaigners opposing the prospective speed. respective of the lawmakers spoke to Axios Friday.

Via AP

“I think it’s a unusual time to invitation Netanyahu; it’s a truly diverse kind of move,” Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) said, pointing to Khan’s effort to arrest the Israel leader.

Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) said, "I don’t think it’s a good time... let’s not complex an already complex situation.’

House Intelligence Committee Ranking associate Jim Himes (D-Conn.) Asserted that Netanyahu " Should be focused on freeing hosts, not on charming legislators."

Regarding whether Schumer would sign the invitation, former home talker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) simply said, “No.” Pelosi, Himes, and Peters were among the 173 home Democrats who last period voted to apply $26 billion in fresh U.S. military aid to Israel, in addition to the close $4 billion it already gets from Washington each year. Kildee voted against the aid package.

Congressional progressives have voiced opposition to a Netanyhau velocity for days, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)—who caucuses with Democrats—indicating Wednesday that he would boycott any address by the prime minister and calling the invitation “a terrible idea.”

Sanders told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins: “Look, you have a prime minister who has created the worst humanitarian disaster in modern history. Israel, of course, had the right to defend itself against the Hamas terrorist attack, but what Netanyahu has done is go to war against—all-out war—against the entry Palestinian people, women and children.”

‘Five percent of the population is now dead or surrounded. Sixty percent of them are women and children. any 200,000 housing units have been completely destroyed,” he continued. "Every university in Gaza has been bombed. There is now imminent starvation taking place.”

“So why you would invitation individual who has done specified horrific things to the Palestinian people?” Sanders added. “I think it’s a very bad idea.”

Via AP

Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) said earlier this week that ‘if Netanyahu comes to address Congress, I would be more than glad to show the ICC the way to the home level to issue that warrant.’

Netanyahu—who faces multiple criminal corruption charges in Israel unrelated to Palestine—has addressd legislature 3 times. If he does so again he will have spoken before legislature more than any another abroad leader.

Controversy over a potent Netanyahu velocity goes beyond Gaza and corruption charge. The prime minister raised eyebrows in 2008 after he said that Israel ‘benefified’ from the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States—which he earlier called a country that ‘can easy be moved.’