JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left for Washington on Monday, leaving behind a brutal war to deliver a politically precarious speech to the US Congress at a time of great uncertainty following Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race.
With ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire between Israel and Hamasgrowing concerns about the spread of war in Lebanon and Yemenand the United States in the midst of a dizzying election campaignNetanyahu’s speech has the potential to cause dismay on both sides of the ocean.
The risks have only increased with Biden’s decision on Sunday to withdraw from the presidential race, especially since the choice of a replacement Democratic candidate — and the potential next American leader — are still up in the air.
Before boarding the plane, Mr Netanyahu said he would emphasize the theme of Israel’s bipartisanship in his speech and that 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 together,” he said, adding that he would meet with Biden during his trip and thank him for his support for Israel.
A source familiar with Biden’s schedule confirmed Sunday that the president would host Netanyahu at the White House. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said the exact time of the meeting had not been set as Biden recovers from COVID-19.
Netanyahu is scheduled to address Congress on Wednesday. He is also expected to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Netanyahu will deliver his speech to Congress with several audiences in mind: ultranationalist government partnersthe key to his political survival; the Biden administration, on which Netanyahu is counting for diplomatic And military support; and Donald Trump’s Republican Party, which could offer Netanyahu a reset in relations if he is re-elected in November.
His remarks risk angering one of those groups, something the Israeli leader cannot afford if he hopes to keep his seat. a fragile hold on power.
“This trip is fraught with pitfalls and traps,” Eytan Gilboa, a scholar of U.S.-Israel relations at Bar-Ilan University, said before Biden withdrew. “He’s seen as a political wizard who knows how to escape traps. I’m not sure he knows how to do that yet.”
This is Netanyahu’s fourth speech to Congress, more than any other world leader. In his speech, his far-right partners in power will want to hear his determination to continue the war and topple Hamas.
The Biden administration will seek to make progress on the latest U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal and secure details on a postwar vision. Republicans hope Netanyahu tarnishes Biden and reinforces the hoped-for perception of the GOP as a staunch supporter of Israel.
The war, which was started by The Hamas attack of October 7 in southern Israel, has tested Israel’s ties with its main ally like never before.
The Biden administration has consistently supported Israel. But it is increasingly alarmed by the conduct of the Israeli military and the continuing difficulties in getting humanitarian aid to Gaza, particularly after the brief hiatus in the civil war. American military dock off the coast of Gaza, as well as Israel’s lack of post-war plans and the damage caused civilians in Gaza. Similar concerns are likely to persist if Americans elect a new Democratic president.
Biden earlier this year frozen the delivery of some bombs for fear they would be used in the Israeli incursion into the southern Gaza town of Rafah, which at the time was home to more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people.
United States abstained in a vote in the United Nations Security Council In March, the Security Council called for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages, but did not link the two. Mr. Netanyahu called the move a “step backward” from a “principled position” by Israel’s ally.
Biden has had to walk a fine line. He has faced harsh criticism from progressive Democrats and many Arab AmericansEven Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking elected Jewish official in the United States, lashed out at Netanyahu in March for his handling of the war.
Some Democrats will likely express their anger at Biden and Netanyahu by skip Wednesday’s speechNetanyahu is also likely to be harassed by pro-Palestinian activists during his trip.
The last time Netanyahu addressed Congress was in 2015, at the invitation of the Republican Party. has deeply embedded Israeli-American policy in partisan division as Netanyahu attacked the Iran nuclear deal reached by then-President Barack Obama.
Netanyahu has not hesitated to make Israel a partisan issue. With his conservative nationalist ideology, he has been perceived as supporting Republican candidates In the past, this has angered Democrats and Israelis who want U.S.-Israel relations to remain bipartisan.
It is not yet clear whether he will meet with Trump. If a meeting takes place, Netanyahu could be accused of taking sides again. But if he does not meet with Trump, the former president could feel offended.
The speech also offers Netanyahu an opportunity to show Israelis that despite tensions with the Biden administration, American support for him remains unwavering.
“He wants the Israeli public to believe that he is still welcome in the United States. And that shows that the American people are with him,” said David Makovsky, director of the program on Arab-Israeli relations at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
For Netanyahu’s critics, the embrace is unacceptable and gives legitimacy to a deeply polarizing leader whose public support has plummeted. Netanyahu faces widespread protests And calls for resignation about the failures of October 7 and his management of the war.
In a letter to Congress, 500 Israeli writers, academics and public figures expressed dismay at the invitation to Netanyahu, saying he would use the platform to promote misguided policies that align with those of his far-right ruling partners.
“His only interest is in preserving his own power,” they wrote. “Does the US Congress want to support such a cynical and manipulative model of leadership in these times?”
Israeli media reported that Netanyahu will be joined by the rescued hostage Noa Argamani and his father. But for many families of hostages held in Gaza, the trip is an affront.
“This is not the time to travel,” said Ayelet Levy Shachar, whose daughter Naama was kidnapped told reporters on October 7.
“Netanyahu: First an agreement, then you can travel.”
