Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting the United States and is scheduled to address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday.
Here is what we know about his trip:
What do we know about Netanyahu’s visit?
Netanyahu arrived in Washington on Monday for a visit that includes meetings with President Joe Biden, the main candidates in the 2024 presidential election — Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump — and the speech before a joint session of Congress.
The Israeli premier’s visit comes at a time of political upheaval in the US after a failed assassination attempt on Trump and Biden bowing out of the 2024 race for the White House and endorsing Harris.
Netanyahu will be the first foreign leader to meet Biden since the president’s announcement on Sunday that he will not seek re-election in November. He is also expected to meet Harris during his trip although it is unclear when.
According to reports, he is expected to speak to US legislators at 2pm (18:00 GMT) on Wednesday. This would be his fourth address to the US Congress — the most ever by any other foreign leader. Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill addressed Congress three times.
Biden has been a staunch supporter of Israel through his decades-long political career and has offered what he has described as “ironclad” assistance to Israel during its war on Gaza despite mounting criticism. Still, Republicans have accused the Democrat of not backing Israel as wholeheartedly as they would.
In his letter to Netanyahu inviting him to address Congress, House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said the Israeli prime minister would have a platform to share his “government’s vision for defending democracy, combatting terror, and establishing a just and lasting peace in the region”.
I am honored to invite Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to address a joint meeting of Congress. pic.twitter.com/rYKx0Z1p93
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) May 31, 2024
What’s on the US-Israel agenda?
Before stepping on the plane on Monday, Netanyahu said he would emphasise the theme of Israel’s bipartisanship in his speech and said Israel would remain a key US ally in the Middle East “regardless who the American people choose as their next president”.
“In this time of war and uncertainty, it’s important that Israel’s enemies know that America and Israel stand together today, tomorrow and always,” he said, adding that he would meet Biden during his trip and thank him for his support of Israel.
As I departed for the United States, I thanked President Biden for the many things he did for the State of Israel during the war and his years as President, Vice President, and Senator.
I look forward to my important meeting with the President.
The following are my remarks… pic.twitter.com/mPcrXbkLUj
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) July 22, 2024
Analysts said Netanyahu will deliver his congressional address with an eye on several audiences: his ultranationalist governing partners, the key to his political survival; the Biden administration, which Netanyahu counts on for diplomatic and military support; and the Republican Party of Trump, who, during his presidency, implemented policies long sought by Netanyahu, including moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal.
Avoiding upsetting any of these audiences won’t be easy, Eytan Gilboa, an expert on US-Israel relations at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University, suggested before Biden’s withdrawal. “There are a few landmines and pitfalls on this trip.”
Netanyahu is expected to focus on coordinating the Israeli and US response to the volatile situation in the Middle East, where there is a growing danger of the Gaza war spilling over into a wider regional conflict.
In Israel, Netanyahu faces growing calls for a deal that would halt the fighting in Gaza and allow the return of 120 captives still held in the enclave run by the Palestinian armed group Hamas.
Israel has also faced mounting global criticism over its war in Gaza, in which more than 39,000 people have been killed; over the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank; and settler attacks on Palestinians.
An opinion issued on Friday by the International Court of Justice that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory is illegal was criticised by Washington. But it followed similar developments, including a decision by the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor to seek an arrest warrant against Netanyahu.
While the US government and Congress have backed Israel, public support in the US for the war on Gaza has shrunk since October 7 when Hamas fighters attacked Israel.
Are protests planned in the US?
Netanyahu’s arrival led to a flurry of protests in the nation’s capital.
On Tuesday, hundreds of demonstrators staged a flash mob-style protest in the Cannon Building, which houses offices of members of the House of Representatives.
Protesters with Jewish Voice for Peace wore red T-shirts that read “Not In Our Name” and took over the building’s rotunda, sitting on the floor, unfurling signs and chanting, “Let Gaza live!”
Activists opposing Israel’s war in Gaza also plan protests at the US Capitol on Wednesday.
At 11am (15:00 GMT), thousands of protesters are expected to meet outside the Capitol to call for Netanyahu’s arrest over “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity”. Protesters will march around the perimeter of the Capitol, carrying a red banner symbolising a “red line” against the war in Gaza.
A coalition of groups is expected to participate in the protests, among them ANSWER, an acronym for Act Now to Stop War and End Racism; the women-led peace and human rights group CodePink; pro-Palestinian groups, such as the Palestinian American Community Center; and Jewish groups, including Jewish Voice for Peace.
CodePink told the Reuters news agency that organisers had arranged buses for human rights advocates to come to Washington, DC, from states across the country.
🇵🇸JULY 24: The people charge Benjamin Netanyahu with genocide!
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is being welcomed by Congress. We won't let a war criminal walk the streets of DC!
🇵🇸ALL OUT TO DC!
🗓️Wed. 7/24
🕚11AM
🔴WEAR RED – we are the red line!
🔗https://t.co/dtZlQSK6Co pic.twitter.com/fj5djuWplM— ANSWER Coalition (@answercoalition) July 2, 2024
About 230 anonymous Capitol Hill staffers from 122 lawmakers’ offices have signed a letter made public last week that urges their bosses to either protest or boycott the address to Congress by Netanyahu.
Meanwhile, UnXeptable, a grassroots movement of “Israeli citizens around the world”, will hold a rally at a park directly outside the Capitol to protest against Netanyahu.
At 1pm (17:00 GMT), a “Peace & Justice Bloc” consisting of Palestinians, Israelis, Jews, Arabs and their allies will meet near the Capitol to call for a ceasefire, a deal for the release of captives and the end of the occupation.
All the signs show that Netanyahu is a persona non grata https://t.co/Zr5qUCQvOB pic.twitter.com/MC7LQrJ2dr
— UnXeptable (@UnxeptableD) July 21, 2024
Who else will Netanyahu meet with during his visit?
Netanyahu is expected to meet Trump on Friday at his resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
“Looking forward to welcoming Bibi Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida,” the former president said in a post on his Truth Social platform, using Netanyahu’s nickname.
