JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left for Washington on Monday. Brutal war Joe Biden will deliver a politically volatile speech to the US Congress amid continued uncertainty following his withdrawal from the presidential race.
Efforts to achieve this are ongoing. Israel and Hamas ceasefireGrowing fears of war spreading to Lebanon Yemenand the U.S. A hectic election campaignPrime Minister Netanyahu’s speech is likely to cause unrest on both sides of the ocean.
Especially after Biden decided to withdraw from the presidential race on Sunday. Democratic candidate replacement — and the candidate for the next US leader — has yet to be decided.
Before boarding the plane, Netanyahu said his speech would emphasize the theme of Israeli bipartisanship, saying Israel would remain America’s main ally in the Middle East “regardless of who the American people choose as their next president.”
“In this time of war and uncertainty, it is important that Israel’s enemies know that America and Israel stand side by side,” he said, adding that he would meet Biden during the visit and thank him for his support for Israel.
A person familiar with Biden’s schedule confirmed Sunday that the president will host Netanyahu at the White House. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said the exact timing of the meeting has not been decided because Biden is recovering from COVID-19.
Netanyahu is due to address parliament on Wednesday and also meet with Vice President Kamala Harris, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is scheduled to address parliament with several audiences in mind. Ultranationalist Governing Partnersthe key to his political survival. Netanyahu is counting on the Biden administration. Diplomatic and army supporters, and Donald Trump’s Republican Party, which could offer Netanyahu a reset in ties if re-elected in November.
His comments risk angering one of these constituencies, something Israeli leaders cannot afford if they want to stay in power. Weakening of power.
“There are some landmines and pitfalls in this trip,” Eitan Gilboa, an expert on U.S.-Israel relations at Israel’s Bar Ilan University, said before Biden left. “He’s supposed to be a political magician who knows how to get out of traps. I’m not sure he knows that yet.”
This will be Netanyahu’s fourth speech to parliament – more than any other world leader – during which his far-right government partners will be eager to hear his determination to continue the war and defeat Hamas.
The Biden administration will likely seek to advance the latest U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal and details of the post-war vision. Republicans have said Netanyahu is Disparaging Biden And it reinforces the expected perception that Republicans are strong supporters of Israel.
This war, Hamas’ October 7 attack The attack in southern Israel is testing Israel’s relationship with its biggest ally like never before.
The Biden administration is firmly on Israel’s side but has grown increasingly wary of the Israeli military’s actions, particularly the ongoing difficulties in getting humanitarian aid to Gaza after a short-lived ceasefire. US military pier the fighting off the Gaza Strip, Israel’s lack of post-war planning, and Civilians in Gaza. Similar concerns are likely to continue if Americans elect a new Democratic president.
Biden earlier this year Frozen the dropping of certain bombs The fear was that the weapons would be used in an Israeli invasion of Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip where more than half of the Strip’s population of 2.3 million people had fled at the time.
America abstained from voting in the UN Security Council In March, Israel called for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages but did not bind the two together, a decision Netanyahu called a “retreat” from a “principled position” by Israel’s allies.
Biden has had to walk his own tightrope. Progressive Democrats and many Arab AmericansEven Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking elected Jewish official in the United States, In March, he blasted Prime Minister Netanyahu. Regarding the handling of war.
Some Democrats will express their anger toward Biden and Netanyahu by saying: Missed Wednesday’s speechPrime Minister Netanyahu is also likely to come under scrutiny from pro-Palestinian activists during his visit.
Netanyahu last addressed parliament in 2015 at the invitation of the Republican Party. plunged Israeli and American politics into deep partisan divisions This is because Prime Minister Netanyahu was strongly opposed to then-President Obama’s Iran nuclear deal.
Netanyahu has not shied away from making Israel a partisan issue. He is driven by a nationalist-conservative ideology. perceived to be supporting Republican candidates In the past, he has frustrated Democrats and Israelis who want to keep U.S.-Israeli relations bipartisan.
It is unclear whether Mr Netanyahu will meet with Mr Trump – if he does, he could again face accusations of taking sides – but if he does not meet with Mr Trump, he may feel slighted.
The speech will also be an opportunity for Netanyahu to show Israel that U.S. support remains unwavering despite tensions with the Biden administration.
“President Trump wants the Israeli people to believe they are still very much welcome in the United States, and this shows that the American people support him,” said David Makovsky, director of the Arab-Israeli Relations Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
To Netanyahu’s critics, the embrace is unacceptable and lends legitimacy to a highly divisive leader whose public support has plummeted. Widespread protests and Calls for resignation About the failure of October 7th and the response to the war.
In a letter to parliament, 500 Israeli writers, academics and public figures expressed disappointment in Netanyahu’s invitation, saying he would use the opportunity to push forward misguided policies aligning him with his far-right government partner.
“His only concern is maintaining his own power,” they wrote. “Does the U.S. Congress want to support such a cynical and manipulative model of leadership in times such as these?”
Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu would join the rescued hostages. Noah Al-Ghamani And her father. But for many of the hostage families held in Gaza, the trip is an affront.
“Now is not the time to travel,” says Ayelet Levi Shachar. His daughter Naamah was kidnapped He spoke to reporters on October 7th.
“Netanyahu: First we agree, then we can travel.”
