US leaders invite Israel's Netanyahu to deliver an address to Congress
May 31, 2024
Top U.S. leaders have invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver an address to Congress
WASHINGTON (AP) — Top U.S. leaders have invited Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu
to deliver an address to Congress, a show ofwartime
support for the longtime ally despite mounting political divisions over Israel's military assault on Gaza.The invitation from House Speaker
Mike Johnson
, a Republican, and Senate Majority LeaderChuck Schumer
, a Democrat, along with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, has beenin the works
for some time. No date for the speech was set.It comes as the
Israel-Hamas
war, now in its seventh month after the Oct. 7 surprise attack by the Palestinian militant group, has caused widespread concerns in the U.S. and abroad over Israel's conduct and the extensive civilian death toll.A speech by Netanyahu would almost certainly expose
election-year divisions
in the U.S., where a growing number of Democrats have turned away from the right-wing prime minister, while Republicans draw ever closer to the Israeli leader.
