Kevin McCarthy tells Netanyahu he will invite him to Washington if Biden doesn’t travel to Israel: Criticizes president after Knesset speaker portrayed Hotel California
- The Speaker of the House of Representatives arrived in Israel on Sunday with a bipartisan delegation
- He criticized Biden for not inviting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
- And his counterpart welcomed him with a version of Eagles’ classic
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, during a visit to Jerusalem on Monday, illustrated the growing bipartisan divide over Israel and criticized President Joe Biden for not inviting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House.
Instead, he said he was ready to invite the Israeli prime minister to address Congress.
“It’s been too long,” McCarthy said in an interview with Israel Hayom newspaper.
If that does not happen, I will invite the Prime Minister to a meeting with the House of Representatives. He’s a dear friend.’
Netanyahu returned to power four months ago despite a rock-hard coalition and controversial plans to rein in the province’s Supreme Court.
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy (R) is welcomed by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana (L) at an official ceremony in Jerusalem
Biden has made his opposition clear, saying he had no immediate plans to offer the Israeli leader a visit to the White House.
His ambassador later diluted that by saying the government would invite Netanyahu “soon.”
Against that backdrop, McCarthy arrived over the weekend with a bipartisan delegation of House members.
He was welcomed by his Israeli counterpart with a surprise rendition of the Eagles’ classic “Hotel California.”
Amir Ohana made her way through the song, supported by professional musician Kfir Ochaion at the Sunday evening reception.
McCarthy will address Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, on Monday.
For now, Netanyahu’s judicial review is suspended following massive public protests and international condemnation.
But the relationship with the US is already damaged, says Eytan Gilboa, an expert on US-Israel relations. He said Netanyahu himself “broken the two-party system around Israel.”
Israeli speaker Amir Ohana (l) made his way through ‘Hotel California’, joined by professional musician Kfir Ochaion at the Sunday night reception.
McCarthy speaks during his visit to the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center on Monday. He will address Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, later today
He told the Associated Press that McCarthy was visiting was a way for both Republicans and Netanyahu to stick with Biden.
“It’s a counterbalance to Biden,” he said. Netanyahu thinks that if McCarthy comes to visit here, the White House will be pressured to invite him.
“Republicans fight over who is Israel’s biggest supporter.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited last week.
And McCarthy will be only the second speaker of the House to address a full session of the Knesset, after Newt Gingrich in 1998.