Republican U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Thursday (May 23) that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would soon address a joint meeting of Congress amid heightened tensions with President Joe Biden over the Israeli leader's handling of the war in Gaza, Reuters reports.
Delivering a keynote speech at the Israeli embassy's annual Independence Day reception, Johnson, the top congressional Republican and a critic of the Democratic president’s Israel policy, said it would be “a strong show of support for the Israeli government in their time of greatest need.”
Such a speech is sure to further anger some progressive Democrats who are increasingly critical of Israel's military campaign in Gaza and Biden's support for it.
The diplomatic gathering came amid strains between Biden and Netanyahu over a U.S. push for Israel to do more to protect Palestinian civilians in the war against Hamas militants in Gaza.
Previous U.S. administrations have usually sent a high-level official to the Independence Day receptions, reflecting Israel's status as Washington’s top Middle East ally.
