Republican House speaker courts Netanyahu amid partisan split on Gaza
If he accepts Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson’s planned invite to speak before Congress, chances are Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will find an even less receptive audience than listened to his 2015 address.
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WASHINGTON — A week after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the US Senate’s highest-ranking Democrat to stay out of Israeli politics, the top Republican in the House of Representatives has invited the embattled Israeli premier to speak before a joint session of Congress.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told CNBC on Thursday he would extend the invite a day after Netanyahu held a virtual meeting with Senate Republicans, during which he answered questions and outlined his case for continuing the war in the Gaza Strip.
If he accepts Johnson's invite, it won’t be the first time Netanyahu has waded into US politics with an appearance before a joint session of Congress. His 2015 address set off a political firestorm in part because then-House Speaker John Boehner didn’t consult with the White House before greenlighting it.
