Netanyahu addresses U.S. Congress amid mass protests, boycott by some Democrats
Many Democrats and political independent Bernie Sanders plan to boycott Netanyahu's appearance. Netanyahu's visit is his first abroad since the war started.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks before the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, with some Democratic lawmakers boycotting the appearance and continuing protests expected in Washington over his hardline government's stance on the war in Gaza.
Netanyahu is assured a warm welcome from Republican lawmakers who arranged his speech in the House chamber, an appearance making him the first foreign leader to address a joint meeting of Congress four times, surpassing Winston Churchill.
Many Democrats and political independent Bernie Sanders plan to boycott Netanyahu's appearance. Vice-President Kamala Harris, who serves as president of the Senate and traditionally would sit behind whatever dignitary is speaking, has said a long-scheduled trip will keep her away. The next Democrat in line, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, also declined to attend.
The United States is Israel's most important ally, arms supplier and source of military aid as Israel battles to break Hamas since the group considered a terrorist organization by several Western countries led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7.
Netanyahu's visit is his first abroad since the war started.
Hours ahead of the address, thousands of protesters gathered near the Capitol to condemn Netanyahu's visit and the war in Gaza. Protesters who spoke with CBC News included those who said they travelled from Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, Virginia, California and upstate New York to denounce the war.
Abdellatif Zrouri, originally from Morocco, flew from Miami with his family on Monday to attend the demonstration and set an example for his two young sons "to be on the right side" of history and "do the right thing."
"What's going on now in Gaza is not acceptable in any shape or form and we cannot just stand [for it]. I'm trying to educate my kids that any human, anywhere, any religion, any kind of people, has to be free and this is the time for Palestinians to have their own country," Zrouri told CBC News, holding his toddler.
"My kids, my family, me, are not more important than the people of Gaza."
Waving the Palestinian flag and bloodied effigies of the Israeli prime minister, crowds cheered as speakers on stage called for an end to the conflict.
"Palestine will be free," they chanted. "Ceasefire now. Free free Palestine."
Bill Mims, 78, drove from Virginia in support of a Palestinian friend in the West Bank.
"How long have you got?" he continued, asked about Netanyahu. "He is a war criminal … I think it's tragic that some politicians in the U.S. feel that its OK to invite him to come here. To me, he's not welcome here and it's a really tragedy that he's addressing Congress."
Law enforcement officials set up a perimeter around the Capitol building the equivalent of over five football fields, with officers from around eastern U.S. holding a strong presence.
Parts of the city were on edge Wednesday, with employees online mulling whether it was safe to come to work in the area or whether they should work from home.
Ceasefire hopes linger
President Joe Biden's administration says it wants to see Netanyahu focus during his visit on helping it complete a deal for a ceasefire and hostage release in the nine-month war. The hard-right wing of Netanyahu's coalition has disdained the possibility of a pause in fighting.
"Once the Knesset goes out of session July 28th, Mr. Netanyahu no longer has to worry about a no-confidence motion, and if he's going to move, and if Hamas is going to move, it's going to occur in mid-August," Aaron David Miller, the former Middle East negotiator who's now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told CBC News this week.
Netanyahu says his aims for the U.S. visit are to press for freeing hostages held by Hamas, to build support for continuing Israel's battle against the group and to argue for continuing to confront Hezbollah in Lebanon and other Iranian-allied groups in the region.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson arranged the address prior to the recent U.S. political turmoil, which has included the assassination attempt against Trump and Biden's decision not to seek a second presidential term.
"I don't know all the motivations for Speaker Johnson initiating the invitation, but clearly he wanted to throw a political lifeline to Netanyahu, whose popularity is very low in Israel right now," Sen. Chris Van Hollen, among the dozens of Democrats set to boycott, said Tuesday.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is Jewish, was more incendiary, characterizing the joint address as "the first time in American history that a war criminal has been given that honour." The chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court has applied for arrest warrants for Netanyahu, and specific Israeli and Hamas officials for charges including war crimes.
