House Republicans may invite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress in the coming days amid a growing rift between President Biden's administration and the Israeli government.
Israel is sending a delegation to discuss plans for an invasion of Rafah with White House officials. Biden's administration has repeatedly criticized Israel's plans, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., publicly disavowed Netanyahu's leadership in a floor speech last week that drew condemnation from Republican leadership and Israeli officials.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he had a "lengthy conversation" with Netanyahu on Wednesday morning, but he did not confirm plans to invite him to give an address.
"We didn't talk about those logistics, but it's one of the things that we have in mind, and we may try to arrange for that," Johnson told reporters. "I think it's very important for us to show solidarity and support with Israel right now in their time of great struggle. And we certainly stand for that position. We'll try to advance that in every way that we can."
Relations between the U.S. and Israel reached a low point last week when Schumer called for Israel to hold elections and remove Netanyahu from office.
SCHUMER'S ANTI-NETANYAHU SPEECH STRENGTHENS BIBI IN ISRAEL'S WAR TO DEFEAT HAMAS
The majority leader said he believed that "Prime Minister Netanyahu has lost his way by allowing his political survival to take the precedence over the best interests of Israel."
Netanyahu responded in a Sunday appearance on "Fox & Friends Weekend."
"I think Schumer's statements are wholly inappropriate. I think we're not a banana republic. The people of Israel will choose when they'll have elections, who they elect, and it's not something that will be foisted upon us," he said.
"Just imagine that, after 9/11, and when you're in the midst of fighting al Qaeda, and winning... some Israeli would say, ‘Oh, the right thing to do is not to have new elections in America or have President Bush resign.’ It's inappropriate. Shouldn't have been said. It's wrong," he added.
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A coalition of conservative groups organized by former Vice-President Mike Pence's non-profit, Advancing American Freedom, released a letter Wednesday similarly demanding Netanyahu be invited to speak.
"We respectfully request that you extend an invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress," the letter from the coalition addressed to Johnson states. "The address would allow Prime Minister Netanyahu to directly update Congress and the American people on the ongoing war."
It continues, "It would help fact cut through fiction, as the media’s attention on the Israel-Hamas war and the remaining hostages, particularly the five Americans still believed to be held hostage by Hamas, continues to fade."
Netanyahu's office was not immediately available for comment.
