Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to address a joint session of Congress today, warning the United States of Iranian hostility and calling for military action against Iran.
Lawmakers opposed to the speech have been warned by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) that they will face arrest if they cause disturbance during Netanyahu's speech. In a letter to his colleagues, Johnson said:
In the interest of all involved, we will enforce a zero-tolerance policy for disturbances in the building. … If a disturbance occurs, Capitol Guard and Capitol Police will remove any offending visitors from the galleries and arrest them. … If Members become disturbed, Capitol Guard will ask them to immediately cease such conduct, and we trust that request will be granted.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (Independent, Vermont) previously said he would not attend Netanyahu's speech, arguing that he should not be welcomed and that his policies in Gaza and the West Bank should be condemned. He said on X:
As I stated last month, I will not be attending Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned address to Congress on Wednesday. I agree with the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor and the UN Independent Commission's findings that both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Prime Minister Yahya Sinwar are war criminals. Prime Minister Netanyahu should not be welcomed in the U.S. Congress.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said at X that he would not attend the speech because he thought it would be political theater.
Today, Congress is playing out a political theater on behalf of the State Department. The purpose of having Prime Minister Netanyahu speak in Congress is to strengthen his political standing in Israel and quell international opposition to his war. I'm not going because I don't want to be a prop.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) responded to Massie's post, saying, “Once again, @RepThomasMassie has joined @AOC and @BernieSanders in taking a stand against our ally Israel,” to which Massie responded, “I don't care what you call me, I'm still not going to your war rally.”
More than a dozen Democrats planned to skip the event, and Vice President Kamala Harris was expected to miss it due to her presidential campaign schedule. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) said yesterday he would not attend the speech. Durbin said on X that he supports Israel and its right to defend itself, but not Netanyahu.
I am committed to Israel's right to defend its people. The Hamas attack on October 7 was unprovoked and cowardly, and the continued holding of hostages is inexcusable. But Israel's war in Gaza, under Prime Minister Netanyahu's direction, that has left 39,000 Palestinians dead and 90,000 injured, is a brutal strategy that goes beyond the bounds of acceptable self-defense…. I support Israel, but I will not be cheering on the current prime minister at the joint session (Wednesday).
