Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized the decision to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress, stating that it was inappropriate given the current humanitarian crisis in Israel. He expressed concerns about the impact of Israel’s actions on the Palestinian people, highlighting the starvation and famine affecting thousands of children. Sanders, along with other Democratic senators, believed that honoring Netanyahu with a joint address was a mistake and that there had not been enough debate within the Democratic caucus on the matter.
House Speaker Mike Johnson announced the bipartisan invitation to Netanyahu, which was signed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Despite the invitation, some Democrats, including Sen. Dick Durbin, voiced concerns about the potential political divisiveness of Netanyahu’s visit and preferred that the invitation be put on hold until Israel agreed to a two-state solution. President Joe Biden has also been working to broker a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, with concerns that Netanyahu may be prolonging the conflict for political gain.
Sanders has vowed to boycott Netanyahu’s address and disputed claims by Johnson that he was sympathetic to terrorists by opposing the Israeli leader. He denounced these accusations as a “disgusting lie” and criticized right-wing Republicans for spreading misinformation. Sanders emphasized that his opposition to Netanyahu’s policies regarding the Palestinian people should not be misconstrued as support for terrorism. Other Democratic senators have joined Sanders in their criticism of the decision to invite Netanyahu to speak before Congress, citing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Israel as a reason for their opposition.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to a dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, with reports of children facing starvation and famine. Sanders and other Democratic senators are concerned about the impact of Israel’s actions on the Palestinian people and have called for a more balanced approach to the situation. They believe that honoring Netanyahu with a joint address of Congress is not appropriate given the current crisis and have urged for a more nuanced approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The debate over Netanyahu’s visit has sparked discussions within the Democratic caucus about how best to address the situation and promote a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Despite the bipartisan invitation extended to Netanyahu, Sanders and other Democratic senators have made it clear that they will not attend the Israeli leader’s address and will continue to voice their opposition to his policies. They have criticized the decision to honor Netanyahu with a joint address of Congress and have called for a more even-handed approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Sanders has rejected accusations of supporting terrorism by opposing Netanyahu’s policies and challenged right-wing Republicans for spreading false information. As the debate continues, Democratic senators are working to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis in Israel and advocate for a more compassionate response to the situation.
