Dozens of Democrats, including Harris, boycott Netanyahu speech
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Nearly 100 Democrats are expected to skip Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech at the Capitol amid tensions over the ongoing war with the Hamas terror group in Gaza.
The most notable absentees are Vice President Kamala Harris, who would have presided over the Senate but says she has a scheduling conflict, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the second-most powerful Democratic Sen. Durbin, D-Ill.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) also plans to boycott the speech, calling the prime minister a “war criminal” for the bloody conflict that has left many dead in Gaza.
Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until Hamas is eradicated after the October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel, in which the terrorist raped women, murdered and beheaded children and took hundreds of Israelis, including several Americans, hostage.
Police estimate that some 10,000 protesters will descend on Capitol Hill today to call for an end to the “genocide” in Gaza and demand a ceasefire. Due to security concerns and a reduced number of US Capitol Police officers, more than 200 New York City Police Department officers have been deployed to Washington, D.C.
A spokesperson for Pelosi said Wednesday that she would attend a “membership meeting with Israeli citizens whose families have been deeply affected by the October 7 Hamas terror attack and kidnappings.” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) informed lawmakers that there would be “an increased police presence around the Capitol complex and in the House of Representatives.”
He also warned that he would have a “zero tolerance” policy for disruptions in the building. “If disruptions occur, the Sergeant at Arms and Capitol Police will remove the offending visitor(s) from the gallery and arrest them,” Johnson said in a letter this week.
Netanyahu said his speech was aimed at “anchoring the bipartisan support that is so important to Israel.” More than 200 pro-Gaza protesters were arrested Tuesday at the Cannon House Office Building.
Thousands more are planned to march down the National Mall to the Capitol today ahead of Netanyahu’s 2 p.m. ET speech. The prime minister is expected to meet separately with President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris on Thursday. He will also travel to Mar-a-Lago to meet with former President Donald Trump, the GOP nominee for president, on Friday.
