Israel, American Democrats torn over Netanyahu

USA, Democrats divided on the war in Rafah: the Jewish group IfNotNow attacks them and calls Netanyahu a “war criminal”

The New York Times reports an interesting article by Annie Karni, who, regarding the invitation by the United States Congress to Netanyahu to hold a joint speech, subtitles: “Bipartisan invitation masked political divisions on the management of the war against Hamas by the Prime Minister, including the recent attacks he orchestrated in Rafah.”

The invitation, which did not set a datecame amid deep political divisions in the United States over the war between Israel and Hamas, which escalated after recent Israeli attacks in Rafah. President Mike Johnson has pushed for weeks to issue the invitation, seeking to more closely embrace Netanyahu as some Democrats, particularly progressives, repudiate him and condemn his war tactics, which have caused tens of thousands of civilian casualties in Gaza and a humanitarian disaster for the Palestinians.

Republicans have, unequivocally, supported Netanyahu’s policies, while Democrats, many of them they see his far-right government as an obstacle to peace, have been deeply divided on the matter. On Friday, Biden called for a permanent ceasefire and said, “It’s time for this war to end.” Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, a Democrat and majority leader, earlier this year called for Netanyahu’s resignation and new elections.

In response, Netanyahu attacked Schumer in a closed-door online speech to Senate Republicans. Schumer, at the time, refused to allow Netanyahu to make a similar speech to Senate Democrats, sarguing that it was not helpful to Israel for the prime minister to address American lawmakers in a “partisan” manner.

Even before the invitation was released Friday afternoon, the prospect of Netanyahu’s visit to the Capitol had divided Democrats. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has said he will boycott any speech by the prime minister, and House progressives said they would plan a demonstration to demonstrate their opposition to Netanyahu’s government and his presence in the Capitol.

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi had said that Mr. Schumer should not have added his name to the invitation. But on Friday, Schumer, along with Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the House Democratic leader, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, and Johnson, extended a bipartisan invitation to Netanyahu to speak immediately at a formal joint meeting of both rooms.

“The existential challenges we face, including the growing partnership between Iran, Russia and China, threaten the security, peace and prosperity of our countries and free people around the world,” the four leaders wrote in the letter. “To build on our enduring relationship and to highlight America’s solidarity with Israel, we invite you to share the Israeli government’s position to defend democracy, fight terrorism, and establish a just and lasting peace in the region.”

The lack of a date was somewhat unusual for an invitation addressed to a foreign leader, the journalist comments. The last time Netanyahu addressed Congress was in 2015, during a more formal joint meeting, in which he took the podium before members of the House and Senate to argue forcefully against President Barack Obama’s policies related to a nuclear deal with Iran. At the time, 58 members of Congress boycotted the speech.

The latest call is part of a weeks-long campaign that House Republicans have waged to highlight Democratic divisions over Israel while portraying their party as a staunch friend of the Jewish state. Progressive groups called the move shameful.

In a statement, Eva Borgwardt, spokeswoman for IfNotNowa left-wing Jewish group that protested the war, said all four congressional leaders “They will forever be remembered as the leaders who invited war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress in the midst of Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza, days after crossing President Biden’s red line on the Rafah invasion.”