Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that he was “delighted” to have been invited to speak to the American Congress, in the midst of the war between his country and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
House Republican Leader Mike Johnson said Friday that Netanyahu had been invited by Republican and Democratic House leaders to speak to Congress.
No date has yet been communicated, but US media have indicated that Mr Netanyahu could speak to Congress just before or after the summer break in August.
“I welcome the privilege of representing Israel before both houses of Congress and telling them the truth about our just war against those who seek to kill us,” Mr. Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office.
“We stand with the State of Israel in its fight against terrorism, particularly at this time when Hamas continues to hold American and Israeli citizens captive and its leaders endanger regional stability,” wrote the four parliamentary leaders. of the House and the Senate in their invitation to Mr. Netanyahu.
This invitation came after a double setback suffered last week by Israel: the recognition by three European countries of the State of Palestine and the decision of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, to request arrest warrants against M .Netanyahu for alleged “crimes against humanity,” along with Hamas leaders.
In March, the leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, caused an uproar by declaring in a speech in the chamber that the government coalition “led by Netanyahu no longer corresponds to the needs of Israel after October 7,” date of the start of the war with the Palestinian movement Hamas, and calling for elections in Israel.
US President Joe Biden announced on Friday evening a road map for Israel towards a ceasefire with Palestinian Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
