Speaker Johnson says he plans to invite Netanyahu to address the US Congress

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson says he plans to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress.

“I would love to have him come in and address a joint session of Congress,” Johnson said Thursday morning on CNBC. “We’ll certainly extend that invitation.”

Johnson said it would be “a great honor of mine” to invite the Israeli leader but “we’re just trying to work out schedules on all this.”

Republicans have rallied around Netanyahu since Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called for new elections in Israel on the Senate floor last week.

Schumer, who is Jewish and a strong supporter of Israel, said he believes that the prime minister has “lost his way” and is an obstacle to peace in the region amid the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

In a statement, Schumer said he would welcome an address by Netanyahu.

“Israel has no stronger ally than the United States and our relationship transcends any one president or any one prime minister,” he said. “I will always welcome the opportunity for the prime minister of Israel to speak to Congress in a bipartisan way.”

Johnson said Wednesday that he had had a lengthy conversation with the prime minister and had “reiterated to him the House Republicans’ strong support for Israel in their efforts there.”

Netanyahu also spoke by video with Senate Republicans at their weekly caucus lunch on Wednesday, telling them in the closed-door meeting that he believes he still has support in the United States and Israel and that he believes Schumer’s remarks were inappropriate.

“We made it clear to the prime minister that in our judgment, the American people overwhelmingly support Israel’s war, that we understand the need to prosecute the war,” Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said after the video call. “Without conquering Hamas, we cannot have peace.”

Netanyahu had also asked to address Democratic senators separately, but Schumer rejected the request, arguing that such meetings should be bipartisan.

The Democratic Party has been increasingly split on the war and President Joe Biden has stepped up public pressure on Netanyahu’s government, arguing that he needs to pay more attention to the civilian death toll in Gaza.

Biden said last week that Schumer “made a good speech” and expressed concerns shared by many Americans. But he did not repeat Schumer’s appeal for Israel to hold elections.