Israel’s Netanyahu faces protests, lawmaker boycotts on U.S. visit

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks earlier Congress connected Wednesday successful hopes of bolstering U.S. support for continuing Israel’s offensives against Hamas and different adversaries. But boycotts of his quality by immoderate Democratic lawmakers and expected protests extracurricular are highlighting really his hard-line government’s behaviour of nan devastating conflict successful Gaza is opening fissures successful longstanding American support for his country.

Netanyahu is assured a lukewarm invited from Republican lawmakers who arranged his reside successful nan House chamber, an quality making him nan first overseas leader to reside a associated gathering of Congress 4 times, surpassing Winston Churchill.

Many Democrats and governmental independent Bernie Sanders scheme to boycott Netanyahu’s appearance. But nan astir notables absence will beryllium down him: Vice President Kamala Harris, who serves arsenic president of nan Senate and traditionally would beryllium down immoderate dignitary is speaking, says a long-scheduled travel will support her distant Wednesday. And nan adjacent Democrat successful line, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, is declining to attend.

Republicans targeted nan absence of Harris, nan caller Democratic front-runner for nan presidency, arsenic a motion of disloyalty to an ally. However, erstwhile President Donald Trump’s moving mate, JD Vance, said campaigning would besides make him a no-show for nan Israeli leader’s speech.

And extracurricular nan Capitol, demonstrators angry complete nan deaths of astir 40,000 Palestinians, aliases complete Netanyahu’s inability to free Israeli and American hostages taken by Hamas and different militants successful nan first hours of nan Israel-Hamas conflict, are promising monolithic protests.

In anticipation, House Speaker Mike Johnson warned of a “zero-tolerance policy” for immoderate signs of disturbances successful nan Capitol building. “It is our contented to admit each impermanent speaker’s correct to free look moreover if we disagree pinch their viewpoint,” nan Louisiana Republican wrote to members Tuesday.

Johnson arranged nan address, an grant that marks some nan 2 countries’ historically lukewarm bonds and nan governmental weight that support for Israel has agelong carried successful U.S. politics. But nan attraction for nan sojourn has been diminished immoderate by American governmental turmoil of caller weeks, including nan assassination effort against Trump and President Joe Biden’s determination not to activity different term.

Netanyahu hopes to task nan image of a tough, respected statesman for an progressively captious home assemblage backmost location successful Israel. That whitethorn beryllium difficult fixed nan wide section among Americans complete Netanyahu’s behaviour of nan conflict.

Many Democrats who support Israel but person been captious of Netanyahu spot nan reside arsenic a Republican effort to formed itself arsenic nan statement astir loyal to Israel and to supply nan premier curate pinch a much-needed governmental reprieve.

“I don’t cognize each nan motivations for Speaker Johnson initiating nan invitation but intelligibly he wanted to propulsion a governmental lifeline to Netanyahu whose fame is very debased successful Israel correct now,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, among nan dozens of Democrats group to boycott, said Tuesday.

Still, galore Democrats scheme to be nan reside contempt their disapproval of Netanyahu, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who called for caller elections successful Israel successful a March level speech. Schumer, of New York, said past that Netanyahu has “lost his way” and is an obstacle to bid successful nan region amid nan humanitarian situation successful Gaza.

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Netanyahu besides is to meet pinch Biden and Harris connected Thursday, and Trump astatine Mar-a-Lago connected Friday.

The United States is Israel’s astir important ally, arms supplier and root of subject assistance arsenic Israel battles to break Hamas since nan group attacked Israel connected Oct. 7. Netanyahu’s sojourn is his first overseas since nan conflict started, and comes nether nan protector of apprehension warrants sought against him by nan International Criminal Court complete alleged Israel warfare crimes against Palestinians. The United States does not admit nan ICC.

The Biden management says it wants to spot Netanyahu attraction during his sojourn connected helping it complete a woody for a cease-fire and hostage-release successful nan nine-month conflict. Growing numbers of Israelis impeach Netanyahu of prolonging nan warfare successful bid to debar a apt autumn from powerfulness whenever nan conflict ends.

Netanyahu says his intends for nan U.S. sojourn are to property for freeing hostages held by Hamas and different militants successful Gaza, to build support for continuing Israel’s conflict against nan group, and to reason for continuing to face Hezbollah successful Lebanon and different Iranian-allied groups successful nan region. The U.S., France and others are seeking to calm separator fighting betwixt Hezbollah and Israel, fearing a larger conflict.

Netanyahu successful his reside besides whitethorn reside a caller China-brokered woody betwixt Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah to shape a authorities together. The statement was an effort to resoluteness a rivalry that could make it moreover harder for Palestinians to unafraid a domiciled governing Gaza whenever nan conflict ends. Israel instantly denounced nan pact, and State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller called Hamas a panic group that should person nary domiciled successful governing Palestinians.

Some Democrats are wary astir Netanyahu, who utilized a 2015 associated reside to Congress to denounce then-President Barack Obama’s pending atomic woody pinch Iran. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has said he does not expect Wednesday’s reside to beryllium a repetition of 2015’s.

As nan premier curate speaks, aggregate protests are planned successful and astir nan Capitol. The largest is group for Wednesday morning, pinch organizers readying to march astir nan Capitol demanding Netanyahu’s apprehension connected warfare crimes charges. Relatives of Israeli hostages are readying a vigil connected nan National Mall.

Associated Press writers Stephen Groves and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.