Israel’s Netanyahu visiting U.S. amid political tensions. What to know

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s sojourn to Washington this week is looming arsenic a fraught 1 betwixt nan 2 allies, coming astatine a infinitesimal of utmost governmental flux successful nan United States and wariness among American leaders astir Netanyahu’s history of interjecting himself into U.S. home politics.

The main intent of Netanyahu’s sojourn is simply a reside to a associated gathering of Congress. But astatine stake, successful meetings pinch management officials, are hopes for advancement successful U.S.-led efforts to mediate an extremity to nan nine-month Israel-Hamas conflict. The sojourn comes arsenic nan toll of Palestinians killed successful Israeli strikes successful Gaza nears 40,000. It’s besides successful a week erstwhile caller deaths were reported among nan surviving hostages — who see Israelis, Americans and different nationalities — held by Hamas and different militants since nan first hours of nan conflict.

Netanyahu planned his travel weeks earlier nan crushed abruptly started heaving nether U.S. authorities this summer. That includes a July 13 assassination effort against Republican statesmanlike nominee Donald Trump, and President Joe Biden’s determination Sunday to springiness up his faltering reelection run and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for nan presidency instead.

Protests are planned for Netanyahu’s planned reside to some houses of Congress connected Wednesday.

A look astatine nan visit:

The governmental facet for Netanyahu is that his fame has plummeted astatine home, and nan sojourn — astatine slightest primitively — was seen arsenic giving him a chance to show himself arsenic a world statesman, welcomed by nan lawmakers and leaders of Israel’s closest state and nan world’s only superpower.

House Speaker Mike Johnson helped bring astir Netanyahu’s reside to lawmakers, highlighting patient Republican support for nan Israeli leader. Netanyahu has had tense relations pinch Biden contempt nan administration’s subject and negotiated support for Israel’s war.

Biden and Netanyahu are expected to meet Thursday, according to a U.S. charismatic who said connected information of anonymity up of nan White House announcement. Harris will meet pinch Netanyahu separately. It was still uncertain Monday if he would meet pinch Trump.

Speaking for nan White House broadside of things, nationalist information advisor Jake Sullivan said astatine a information convention successful Colorado past week that Biden planned to attraction connected moving retired what it will return for nan United States, Israel and others to get a hostage-release and cease-fire woody done successful nan coming weeks.

Biden called successful to a gathering of run staffers Monday, telling them, “I deliberation we’re connected nan verge” of ending nan conflict.

For his part, Netanyahu pointed to longer-term issues earlier flying retired of Israel Monday. He said he wanted to talk to Biden astir continuing nan conflict against Hamas, and confronting different Iran-backed equipped groups successful nan region, arsenic good arsenic freeing hostages.

Israel’s warfare has been intensely divisive successful nan United States, spurring protests and resulting successful arrests connected assemblage campuses, alienating immoderate voters connected some sides of nan issue, and frustrating months of effort by Biden to bring nan fighting to a close.

The travel is nan first clip Netanyahu has traveled overseas since nan conflict collapsed retired Oct. 7. It’s besides his first since nan International Criminal Court said it was seeking his apprehension successful what it said were imaginable warfare crimes successful Israel’s violative successful Gaza. Israel denies wrongdoing, and nan U.S. does not admit nan ICC.

Netanyahu faces complaints successful Israel that he is avoiding closing a cease-fire and hostage-release woody truthful arsenic to enactment successful power, a complaint repeated Monday by a comparative of 1 hostage.

Netanyahu besides has not been awkward astir criticizing Democratic administrations, including Biden’s. In 2015, nan Israeli leader utilized a reside to some houses of Congress to effort to torpedo lawmaker and celebrated support for President Barack Obama’s atomic woody pinch Iran. He condemned it arsenic a bad and vulnerable deal, angering management officials.

Sullivan said management officials don’t expect this week to beryllium a repetition of 2015.

It appears bad. Even arsenic Netanyahu was headed for Washington connected Monday, American authorities and voters were still adjusting to nan abrupt displacement of attraction from Biden to Harris successful nan Democratic statesmanlike race. Biden was still successful Delaware getting complete COVID-19.

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Harris, meanwhile, is owed to beryllium distant Wednesday, connected an Indianapolis travel scheduled earlier she became nan starring Democratic statesmanlike campaigner complete nan weekend.

Biden plans to meet pinch Netanyahu this week, according to a personification acquainted pinch his schedule who was not authorized to remark publicly. The nonstop timing is still unclear. Harris besides plans to meet pinch Netanyahu this week, according to nan White House.

Israeli media reported Netanyahu had besides asked for a gathering pinch Trump, but location was nary contiguous connection of one. Trump has had a mixed narration pinch Netanyahu, including cursing him for what Trump portrayed arsenic Netanyahu’s speedy nickname of Biden’s triumph successful nan 2020 elections.

Netanyahu’s associated reside to Congress will look a spot different from erstwhile specified addresses, successful portion owed to guidance among Democrats to his behaviour of nan conflict successful Gaza.

Harris, arsenic Senate president, usually sits down nan overseas leaders, but she’ll beryllium away. Senate Pro Tempore Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, is adjacent successful statement to capable that seat, but said she was among nan lawmakers declining to attend. Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Ben Cardin will beryllium location instead. He told The Associated Press he hoped Netanyahu would usage nan reside to laic retired a early for some Israelis and Palestinians.

While families of immoderate hostages were reported to beryllium walking pinch Netanyahu, different relatives who responsibility his handling of nan situation said they would besides beryllium sitting successful nan chamber.

Some lawmakers who planned to boycott nan reside said they would walk nan clip talking pinch nan families of those held by Hamas.

Multiple protests are planned extracurricular nan Capitol, pinch immoderate condemning nan Israeli subject run overall, and others expressing support for Israel but pressing Netanyahu to onslaught a cease-fire woody and bring location hostages.

The largest protestation is group for Wednesday morning, pinch organizers readying to march astir nan Capitol building demanding Netanyahu’s apprehension connected warfare crimes charges. A licence exertion submitted to nan National Park Service estimated astatine slightest 5,000 participants.

Smaller protests are planned Tuesday evening and passim nan time Wednesday, including a dream vigil extracurricular Union Station adjacent nan Capitol. Relatives of Israeli hostages are readying a vigil connected nan National Mall.

Fencing was up astir nan edifice on nan Potomac River wherever Netanyahu is staying and uniformed information were screening workers and others astatine nan edifice complex. It’s portion of rigid information successful Washington for nan Israeli leader’s visit.

The Metropolitan Police Department has announced an extended bid of thoroughfare closures that will past astir of nan week.

The sojourn will service arsenic a high-profile trial for nan Secret Service, which handles protection of visiting overseas leaders. That’s arsenic nan agency’s main was being grilled by lawmakers Monday complete what she acknowledged were superior information failures successful nan onslaught connected Trump earlier.

Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani and Zeke Miller successful Washington and Josef Federman successful Jerusalem contributed to this report.