Netanyahu trip will put US divisions on display

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s three-day trip to Washington is poised to put the deep divisions between Democrats and Republicans on U.S. policy toward Israel on full display — in addition to the split among Democrats.

Boycotts from Democratic lawmakers and pro-Palestinian activists against Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on Wednesday will contrast with a Republican Party united on a rare area of solidarity.

“I will seek to anchor the bipartisan support that is so important for Israel,” Netanyahu said in remarks from Israel before departing Monday morning. 

“I will tell my friends on both sides of the aisle, that regardless of who the American people choose as their next president, Israel remains America’s indispensable and strong ally in the Middle East.”

Netanyahu’s relationship with President Biden is uneasy, with the U.S. administration repeatedly under pressure from its own party over its support for Israel’s war in Gaza, which last left tens of thousands dead.

With Biden’s decision to not seek reelection, all eyes will be on Vice President Harris for how she handles meetings with Netanyahu. Harris is not expected to attend Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, in a sign welcomed by advocates for a tougher U.S. policy toward Israel. 

“It’s definitely a step in the right direction,” said Matt Duss, executive vice president of the Center for International Policy. “Denying Netanyahu the kind of trophies that he clearly desires, I think is really important here.”

It’s unclear where Netanyahu stands with former President Trump, who has held a grudge against Netanyahu for recognizing Biden’s election victory in 2020, with Trump responding “f— him” in an interview with Israeli journalist Barak Ravid.

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), Trump’s running mate, will miss Netanyahu’s speech and will defer to the Republican presidential nominee for direct communication with the Israeli leader this week, according to a source familiar with the matter.  

A number of Democratic lawmakers from the Senate and House have announced they will boycott Netanyahu’s speech. 

“Netanyahu should not be welcomed into the United States Congress,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Monday on his decision to boycott the address.

“On the contrary, his policies in Gaza and the West Bank and his refusal to support a two-state solution should be roundly condemned. In my view, his right-wing, extremist government should not receive another nickel of U.S. taxpayer support to continue the inhumane destruction of Gaza.”

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was the architect of Netanyahu’s visit to the Capitol, which cropped up as a quasi-response to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) high-profile floor speech in which he said the Israeli prime minister “lost his way” and called for new leadership in the country.

The remarks from Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in U.S. history, sparked intense criticism from Republicans, who raced to show support for Netanyahu.

“I think it’s very important for us to show solidarity and support for Israel right now in their time of great struggle, and we certainly stand for that position and we’ll try to advance that in every way that we can,” Johnson said back in March.

The top four congressional leaders officially sent Netanyahu an invitation in May, capping off weeks of speculation about whether or not Schumer would sign the message. But in a sign of how divisive Netanyahu is, the announcement of a date for the prime minister’s address came only from top congressional Republicans, omitting Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).

The topic of Israel — and the war in the Middle East — has been a complicated one for the House Democratic Caucus, where staunchly pro-Israel Democrats have found themselves at odds with pro-Palestinian progressives.

The divide has posed a quandary for Democratic congressional leaders in addition to Biden, tensions that will be brought back to the forefront at an inopportune time for the party as it tries to unite around Harris as the new presidential nominee.

While Biden has criticized Netanyahu for the death and destruction wrought against Palestinians in Gaza, he has not heeded the calls from lawmakers in his party to halt major weapons shipments to Israel as a consequence.

“This will be an opportunity to thank him for the things he did for Israel during the war and during his long and distinguished career in public service,” Netanyahu said.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said that the expectation is Netanyahu’s speech “doesn’t look like 2015,” in reference to the prime minister, at that time, coming out publicly against the policy of the then-Obama-Biden administration’s pursuit of diplomacy with Iran. 

“They said he’s intending to reinforce a set of themes and arguments that are not at odds or in contradiction to our policy, American policy,” Sullivan said during a panel talk at the Aspen Security Forum last week. 

“Our expectation is that his speech will be one that doesn’t look like 2015, it looks like what it should in the circumstances of today, and that is how the U.S. and Israel are trying together to face down a terrorist threat, to coordinate together on the regional challenges that both of our countries are facing and how we’re continuing to work towards a cease-fire and hostage deal.”

It’s not yet clear how Biden’s decision to not seek reelection will guide his action toward Israel and the Middle East over the next six months. 

Biden has sought to lay the groundwork for a major, multilayered deal in the Middle East that culminates with ties established between Israel and Saudi Arabia — but must begin with a six-week cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. 

American families of hostages held by Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist group by the U.S., are in Washington urging Netanyahu to announce in his speech to Congress that he is ready to sign the cease-fire deal with Hamas. The 120 hostages include eight American citizens. 

Rachel Goldberg-Polin, whose son Hersch has been held by Hamas since he was kidnapped from southern Israel during the deadly attack that left more than 1,200 dead, said Biden is likely more focused on achieving the cease-fire deal now that he’s freed up from reelection campaigning. 

“President Biden, the administration, all of Congress has been so incredibly supportive, helpful, as transparent as they can be — I don’t think that there’s any concern about President Biden deciding not to run for a second term, in fact, I think that he’s so committed to getting these people home, specifically the American eight — but all of the hostages, that if anything this allows him to focus more, laser concentration on that goal that he is so passionate about.”