Johnson: Netanyahu will soon address joint session of US Congress

(Patria) - House Speaker, Republican Mike Johnson announced on Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will soon address a joint meeting of Congress amid heightened tensions with President Joe Biden over the conduct of the war in Gaza, Reuters reported.

Delivering the keynote address at the Israeli Embassy's annual Independence Day reception, Johnson, the highest-ranking Republican in Congress and a critic of Democratic President Biden's Israel policy, said it would be "a strong show of support for the government of Israel at a time when they need it most."

Such a speech is sure to further enrage some progressive Democrats who have become increasingly critical of Israel's military campaign in Gaza and Biden's support for it.

The diplomatic gathering took place amid tensions between Biden and Netanyahu over US efforts to get Israel to do more to protect Palestinian civilians in its war against Hamas in Gaza.

The embassy gave equal weight to the speech of Democratic US Representative Pete Aguilar, who shared the platform with Johnson at a more intimate event in the shadow of the Gaza war. He said US support for Israel was "ironclad."

Speaking first, Johnson said to applause from a decidedly pro-Israel audience: "I am happy to announce one more thing tonight. We will soon be hosting Prime Minister Netanyahu on Capitol Hill for a joint session of Congress."

Successive US administrations have typically sent high-ranking officials to Independence Day receptions, reflecting Israel's status as Washington's top ally in the Middle East.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who has called the situation in Gaza a "humanitarian catastrophe" and called for a ceasefire, delivered last year's keynote address, largely praising US support for Israel. Secretary of State Alejandro Mayorkas spoke the year before.

An Israeli official said this year the embassy wanted to honor lawmakers in a bipartisan manner with speaking roles in gratitude for Congress's approval of new US military aid to Israel.

The reception was held the same night as a state dinner at the White House for Kenyan President William Ruto, which an Israeli official said created scheduling difficulties for senior administration members. Other lower-ranking administration officials were on the embassy's guest list, according to the Israeli official.