Washington — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to address a joint session of parliament on Wednesday afternoon, seeking to drum up support. Israel’s 10-month war with Hamas In Gaza Strip.
He is scheduled to address lawmakers at 2 p.m. ET.
Netanyahu will be the first world leader to address a joint session of parliament four times. He last spoke to both chambers in 2015, when he tried to persuade lawmakers to scuttle negotiations with the Obama administration over Iran’s nuclear program.
His speech coincides with a period of unusual upheaval in American politics. Former President Donald Trump Survived an assassination attempt July 13, a few days before he officially became the Republican presidential nominee. President Biden Ended re-election campaign After his dismal performance in the November debate, his party has lost confidence that the 81-year-old Trump can win a rematch.
“In this time of war and uncertainty, it is important for Israel’s enemies to know that the United States and Israel stand together today, tomorrow, and forever,” Netanyahu said. said A statement released before arriving in the United States on Monday.
How to watch Netanyahu’s speech to parliament
- what: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks before a joint session of the Knesset
- date: Wednesday, July 24th
- hour: 2pm Eastern
- location: United States Capitol
- Online Stream: Watch CBS News live in the player above or on your mobile or streaming device.
Note: Streaming plans are subject to change.
congressional leaders invite Netanyahu in May showed the unity of both parties amid deep political divisions over the war across the United States. Republicans were steadfast in their support of Netanyahu, while Democrats were divided in their support for Netanyahu, a longtime U.S. ally.
In addition to sharp criticism of the high Palestinian death toll against Netanyahu’s government, the prime minister is facing domestic and international pressure to halt the fighting in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza. His critics accuse him of prolonging the war for political gain, which he denies.
The U.S. Capitol Police said they were expecting large protests during Netanyahu’s visit and had increased security around the Capitol.
Some Democrats plan to boycott the speech, accusing Republicans of orchestrating the visit for partisan purposes.
Vice President Kamala Harris, A strong candidate for the Democratic presidential nominationThe lawmaker who usually presides over a joint session of Congress will be out. The next candidate to replace Netanyahu and Harris is Senator Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat and the Senate president pro tempore. But Murray is one of the lawmakers who will skip the speech. Instead, Senator Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat, will preside over the joint session.
According to the prime minister’s office, Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Mr. Biden at the White House on Thursday afternoon. Mr. Biden returned to Washington on Tuesday after spending nearly a week in quarantine at his beach home in Delaware recovering from COVID-19.
The White House said Harris would meet with Netanyahu on Thursday.
President Trump initially announced he would meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday, but later said he had postponed the meeting to Friday at the prime minister’s request.
Christine Brown, Christina Coruzzo, Alan Huh and Nicole Killion contributed reporting.