The last time Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress in 2015, he did so at the invitation of a Republican House speaker, with the Democratic vice president absent. The current Vice President Kamala Harris will also not be attending the upcoming speech.
Netanyahu's previous speech in 2015 saw him criticizing the Obama administration's outreach to Iran for a nuclear deal, which strained US-Israeli relations. There is anticipation regarding whether Netanyahu will take shots at the current administration in his upcoming speech, similar to his 2015 remarks.
Recent tensions between Netanyahu and the Biden administration were evident when Netanyahu accused the administration of delaying weapons shipments in a video message last month, leading to friction with the White House.
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan expressed that the administration expects Netanyahu's speech to differ from his 2015 address and has an idea of the content he plans to deliver. Sullivan also noted that Netanyahu will likely be refining his speech until the last minute, indicating a keen interest from both sides in the upcoming address.
