[J]ust like the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who come out each week to protest, so too we in America are doing so not because we don't care about Israel, but because we care so very deeply. We believe in a better future for Israel, and we know that Netanyahu is leading the country down the wrong path. We know that this darkest of moments for Israel is also one of great opportunity to break through the impasse of conflict with the help of the international community. But to date Netanyahu has rejected efforts to move forward.Jewish Voice for Peace, CodePink, and other activist groups also plan to demonstrate against Netanyahu.
And when he does arrive, there will be rabbis gathering to pray, but also to protest, calling for an end to the war, a release of all hostages, and an end to the occupation. There will be Israeli-Americans like me, IDF veterans, declaring Netanyahu- Non Grata and speaking out for Israel's threatened democracy.
Also among those protesting Netanyahu will be hostage families demanding that he make the deal, end the war, and bring their loved ones home. American Jews, like our Israeli friends and families, are coming out in force to stand for Israel, for peace, for democracy, for an end to the war and the return of the hostages, and for a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike. [my emphasis] (1)
Bloomberg Television reports on the upcoming speech: (2)
Netanyahu’s appearance before a joint session of Congress will be a campaign speech for convicted felon Donald Trump. Normally, a joint session would be presided over by the President of the Senate, i.e., Vice President Kamala Harris. It turns out, “She will be out of Washington for a public event at a college sorority in Indiana.” (3) That’s the diplomatic equivalent of, ”No, I can’t go out with you on Friday. I have to wash my hair that night.” And it’s encouraging to see!
Two columnists in The Forward note, “It is unclear when Harris — who addressed a similar sorority convention last July — made her plans.” (4) But the Times of Israel reports, “But already last week, Biden’s campaign scheduled her to speak at an event in Indianapolis.” (5)
And, gosh, it turns out the person who would normally take on the task, Senate President pro tem Patty Murray also will be having her nails done that day.
Senator Ben Cardin, the [foreign affairs] committee's Democratic chairperson, will be presiding, an aide said on Monday. Democratic Senator Patty Murray, who as president pro tempore normally would preside in the absence of Harris, said she was not attending Netanyahu's address.Axios reports, “An Israeli official told Axios [that Netanyahu’s] speech won't be defiantly against Biden, and will have a bipartisan message on the need for the U.S. to support Israel during war.” (7)
"Securing a lasting, mutual ceasefire is of the utmost importance right now, and I will continue to push for one to be reached as soon as possible," Murray said in a statement.
She added that she hoped Netanyahu would use his speech to address how he plans to secure a ceasefire and lasting peace.
Murray is one of a few members of Congress who have said they will skip the address. Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, said Netanyahu should not be welcomed into Congress and in a statement harshly criticized his "war machine."
Netanyahu's visit to Washington to address Congress was orchestrated by the legislature's Republican leaders, who have accused President Joe Biden, a Democrat, of showing insufficient support for Israel, despite the billions of dollars in U.S. assistance sent during its war in Gaza. [my emphasis] (6)
But that’s diplomatic fluff. The speech before a joint session of Congress on June 24 will be a de facto campaign speech for convicted felon Trump.
[W]hile the Israeli premier’s arrival in Washington could smooth the path to a ceasefire deal, his critics fear Netanyahu will use the visit to seek backing for continuing and possibly even expanding the fighting in what has become Israel’s longest war.CNN’s Jeremy Diamond reinforces that latter point:
“Netanyahu wants to speak in the US above the heads of Congress and way past Joe Biden to Donald Trump, who in the past called Netanyahu a weak leader,” said Gershon Baskin, a former Israeli hostage negotiator. The Israeli leader will transmit messages of support to Trump, anticipating his potential return to the White House, looking for ways to sustain Israeli military action in Gaza in return, said Baskin.
A senior European diplomat said expectations of a ceasefire being concluded were limited. “His own political life is tied up in this war in Gaza,” said the diplomat. “I think in that sense some sort of conflict has to keep going.” [my emphasis] (8)
The conventional wisdom in Israeli media, politics and on the streets of Tel Aviv would tell you that the answer to that question is no – that Netanyahu has much more to gain by prolonging the war and much more to lose by ending it.Lev Grinberg analyses Netanyahu’s strategy for getting his way with Biden for +972 Magazine,
The war has allowed Netanyahu to delay his share of accountability for the failures leading up to the October 7 attacks, rebuffing calls for new elections with stiff wartime resolve. His party’s prospects in the next election have actually improved in recent months. And the right-wing coalition partners keeping him in power have threatened to bolt if Netanyahu cuts a deal that ends the war.
Even Biden has said “there is every reason” for people to believe Netanyahu is prolonging the war in Gaza in order to stay in power.
Even Biden has said “there is every reason” for people to believe Netanyahu is prolonging the war in Gaza in order to stay in power.
There are also indications that Netanyahu is throwing up eleventh-hour obstacles to reaching a deal. He reneged on a key Israeli concession regarding allowing Palestinians unrestricted access to northern Gaza that was included in Israel’s latest ceasefire proposal and now appears to be insisting on Israel maintaining control of the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14km strip of land that serves as a buffer zone on the border between Egypt and Gaza. And publicly, his rhetoric has undermined confidence in Israel’s commitment to reaching a deal that could end the war. [my emphasis] (9)
He also notes that Netanyahu is focused on extending the current war. Which, of course, has already spread to Lebanon, Yemen, and Iran to some extent. And it could become a much bigger, longer war if the players including Israel and the US don’t get more serious about preventing that result.
Netanyahu has been working for years against US interests by trying to pull the United States into a major war with Iran. Grinberg recalls Netanyahu’s attempts to pressure the Obama Administration to accept his terms, including in his 2015 speech to another joint session of Congress:
Netanyahu only continued to defy the Obama administration over the following years, with no political consequences. In May 2011, Netanyahu addressed the U.S. Congress, calling for an Israeli presence along the Jordan River and a united Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and was met with 29 standing ovations from both Republicans and Democrats. Another speech in Congress by Netanyahu in 2015 sought to undermine the president’s multilateral diplomacy with Iran regarding its nuclear facilities. Yet despite suffering these political and increasingly personal indignities, Obama ended his presidency by signing the largest ever U.S. military aid package to Israel, to the tune of $38 billion over 10 years. (10)And Grinberg describes how Netanyahu has been recently and currently approaching the US Presidential campaign:
When Biden laid out his ceasefire proposal on May 31, he called on the Israelis to support the plan. It was an attempt to exert domestic pressure on Netanyahu, while tacitly recognizing that the United States would not use all its leverage with Israel. In response, Netanyahu took a page from Trump’s playbook and simply lied about the Biden administration’s suspension of a weapons shipment earlier in May — giving Republicans political fodder to attack the president.Notes:
In his upcoming speech to Congress on July 24, Netanyahu will further entrench his role in the U.S. elections, and will likely receive standing ovations from Republicans but also some Democrats who depend on AIPAC to fund their campaigns. As he did with Obama, Netanyahu intends to exercise his own leverage and help defeat Biden on his home turf. [my emphasis]
(1) Susskin, Hadar (2024): Netanyahu Is Not Welcome in Washington. Haaretz 07/22/2024. <https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2024-07-22/ty-article-opinion/.premium/netanyahu-is-not-welcome-in-washington/00000190-d974-d566-adfa-fb76b5300000> (Accessed: 2024-22-07).
(2) Israel's Netanyahu Due to Meet Biden in Washington This Week. Bloomberg Television YouTube channel 07/22/2024. <https://youtu.be/o2Hrg69q6A4?si=ISUB2BUR0EygMjy4> (Accessed: 2024-23-07).
(3) Keene, Louis & Cherry, Unitah (2024): The Forward 07/22/2024. <https://forward.com/fast-forward/636327/kamala-harris-netanyahu-address-congress-miss/> (Accessed: 2024-22-07).
(4) Magid, Jacob (2024): Not the bad cop: Biden officials say Harris won’t shift course on supporting Israel. Times of Israel 07/22/2024. <https://www.timesofisrael.com/not-the-bad-cop-biden-officials-say-harris-wont-shift-course-on-supporting-israel/> (Accessed: 2024-23-07).
(5) Roth, Andrew (2024): As Netanyahu arrives in Washington, Kamala Harris treads a careful path on Israel and Gaza. The Guardian 07/23/2024. <https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/23/as-netanyahu-arrives-in-washington-kamala-harris-treads-a-careful-path-on-israel-and-gaza> (Accessed: 2024-22-07).
(6) Zengerl, Patricia (2024): Senator to preside over Netanyahu US Congress speech, Harris traveling. Reuters 07/23/2024. <https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-senate-committee-chair-ben-cardin-preside-over-netanyahu-speech-2024-07-22/> (Accessed: 2024-22-07).
(7) Ravid, Barak (2024): Bibi seeks validation in his visit to a turbulent D.C. Axios 07/22/2024. <https://www.axios.com/2024/07/22/benjamin-netanyahu-washington-dc-visit-biden-israel> (Accessed: 2024-22-07).
(8) Michaelson, Ruth & Roth, Andrew (2024): Netanyahu to arrive in Washington as fears grow of wider war in Middle East. The Guardian 07/22/2024. <https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/22/netanyahu-washington-fears-grow-wider-war-middle-east> (Accessed: 2024-22-07).
(9) Diamond, Jeremy (2024): Netanyahu’s visit to the US could be crucial to a ceasefire deal. But does he want one? CNN 07/22/2024. <https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/22/middleeast/benjamin-netanyahu-washington-dc-visit-mime-intl/index.html> (Accessed: 2024-22-07).
(10) Grinberg, Lev (2024): Deceive, defy, and defer: Netanyahu’s time-tested strategy to outmaneuver Biden. +972 Magazine 07/16/2024. <https://www.972mag.com/deceive-defy-defer-netanyahu-biden/> (Accessed: 2024-22-07).
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