Amid growing partisan divisions over U.S. support for Israel’s war to dismantle Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) plans to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak to a joint session of Congress.
“I would love to have him come in and address a joint session of Congress. I will certainly extend that invitation,” Johnson said Thursday morning on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
His colleague in the Senate, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) declined to host Netanyahu remotely, after the Israeli prime minister spoke via video feed to Senate Republicans.
Schumer, who has drawn widespread criticism from many American Jewish organizations, and support from a handful, after he said on the Senate floor that Netanyahu is an “obstacle” to peace and Israel should hold new elections, said, “I will always welcome the opportunity for the prime minister of Israel to speak to Congress in a bipartisan way.”
Johnson also said during the interview that Netanyahu had invited him to address the Knesset in Jerusalem. “We’re just trying to work out schedules on all this,” he said.
Senator Chuck Schumer calling for new elections in Israel was outrageous and unbelievable. To suggest to our strongest ally in the Middle East that he knows better when it comes to running their democracy is just patently absurd. ⁰⁰Republicans will always stand with Israel. pic.twitter.com/PkQLuwqqNU
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) March 21, 2024
