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 at the thousands of deaths and the humanitarian crisis in Israel's campaign in Gaza.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets near the Capitol to protest Netanyahu's appearance amid the tightest security since the attack on January 6, 2021. The Capitol building was surrounded by a high fence, with many police officers.
Facing applause upon his arrival, the long-time leader in Israel delivered his speech at a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives in a city abuzz with domestic politics.
“America and Israel must come together,” Netanyahu said as he began his speech.
President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he is ending his bid for re-election and allowing Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic presidential nominee to challenge Donald Trump.
It was the fourth recorded speech by a foreign leader to a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives, surpassing British wartime leader Winston Churchill, who made three.
Shortly before he spoke, US Capitol police reported that some of the protests a few blocks from the building had turned violent, prompting them to use pepper spray.
His remarks were expected to focus on coordinating Israel's and the US's response to the tense situation in the Middle East, where there is a growing risk that the war in Gaza will spill over into the broader picture of the region.
He was also expected to call for tougher action against Iran, which backs Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, both militant groups fighting Israel, and has fueled US criticism of its latest nuclear development.
Republican leaders in Congress are planning a visit, but it is likely to be more divisive than in 2015 when Republicans abandoned then-President Barack Obama, a Democrat, and Netanyahu used his speech to criticize Obama's Iran policy.
This time, Netanyahu will want to strengthen his connection with the Republicans but also look to ease the differences with Biden, the Democrat he will rely on for his support in the remaining six months of the presidential term.
OTHER LAW OFFICERS STAY AWAY
Some lawmakers say they are uncomfortable with appearing to agree with Netanyahu and his hardline coalition government as he faces declining poll numbers in Israel.
Others say they want Netanyahu to focus on reaching a cease-fire agreement and bringing home all the hostages captured by Hamas on October 7, in the deadly raid that sparked Israel's operation in Gaza.
“For him, this is about building his support at home, which is one of the reasons I don't want to go,” Senator Chris Van Hollen told reporters. “I don't want to be a political party to this act of deception. He is not a great guardian of the US-Israel relationship.”
A member of the Republican House, Representative Thomas Massie, also said he would not attend. “The purpose of Netanyahu's speech to Congress is to strengthen his political standing in Israel and to end opposition to his war. I don't feel like being a lawyer so I won't attend,” wrote Massie in X.
Some of the more prominent Democrats overstated the rhetoric. They include Senators Dick Durbin, the 2nd Democrat of the chamber, Tim Kaine, Jeff Merkley and Brian Schatz, all members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Patty Murray, who is the chairman of the Senate Appropriations.
In the House, those absent would include progressives Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as Ami Bera and Joaquin Castro, senior members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the military and Rosa DeLauro, his colleague. in the appropriations committee.
Smith said he has not attended the joint meetings but described himself on Tuesday as “strongly opposed to what Prime Minister Netanyahu is doing in Israel.”
Harris, who usually presided over the speech as vice president, will not be there. Neither will Republican Sen. JD (NASDAQ: ) Vance, Trump's vice president.
Murray would still preside, as the top Senate Democrat, in Harris' absence. Democratic Senator Ben Cardin, who heads the foreign relations committee, will replace him.
Both Biden and Harris will meet with Netanyahu on Thursday, and are expected to press him to move forward on a cease-fire and hostage-release deal with Hamas. Harris has sometimes leaned ahead of his boss in criticizing Israel for killing Palestinians in Gaza.
Netanyahu was due to travel to Florida to meet with Trump on Friday. This meeting will be the first since the end of the Trump administration, where the two have developed a close relationship.
