Benjamin Netanyahu will become the first foreign leader to address a joint session of the US Congress four times, despite major differences with the Biden administration.
The Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement that a date for his speech to Congress had yet to be set, but that it would not take place on June 13, as had been reported, due to a Jewish holiday.
The formal invitation came from congressional leaders of both parties within hours of Joe Biden unveiling the terms of a new Gaza peace proposal, which Israel endorsed. Over the weekend, however, Netanyahu downplayed the significance of any Israeli concessions in the new plan, emphasizing that any proposal for a lasting ceasefire without the destruction of Hamas as a military and government force would be a “non-starter.”
He has also suggested that Israel was only obliged to implement the first of the three phases of the peace plan, which could increase Hamas’s reservations about a deal. The White House says it is waiting for an official response from Hamas on the proposal.
Related: Biden’s failed ceasefire deal in Gaza only demonstrates his lack of influence | Julian Borger
Netanyahu had previously defied Biden by adamantly opposing any move toward the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, and by pressing ahead with an offensive on Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah despite repeated calls from the Biden administration not to do that.
Before this month’s planned appearance, Netanyahu was the only foreign leader, aside from Winston Churchill, to be given the honor of speaking to a joint session of Congress three times. With his fourth speech he will even surpass Churchill in the record books.
The invitation to Congress reminds us that as Biden seeks to influence Israeli politics to broker a peace deal for Gaza and a broader long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Netanyahu also has the tools to influence American politics influence – and possibly hurt. Biden’s re-election chances if he were to accuse the president of insufficient support.
Netanyahu used a 2015 speech before Congress to speak out against then-President Barack Obama’s efforts to reach an agreement with Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program. The Israeli prime minister was highly critical of Biden last month when the president halted the supply of heavy bombs to the Israeli forces.
