Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said Sunday he plans to skip the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s speech to Congress later this month, which labeled the speech “a one-way lecture.”
“I will not be attending,” Khanna said in an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” adding, “I said if he wants to come and speak to members of Congress about how to end the war and hostages can be released, I That would be fine, but I’m not going to sit in a one-way college.”
Khanna joins Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in her plans to boycott the Israeli leader’s speech.
Sanders branded Netanyahu a “war criminal” earlier this month and questioned why congressional leaders had invited him to speak in the first place.
“What [Speaker Mike] Johnson will have to explain to the American people why he thinks it’s okay to invite someone to a joint session who is currently responsible for the deaths of some 38,000 Palestinians, 60% of whom are women and children, the elderly, Sanders told NBC News earlier this month.
Khanna and Sanders’ decision illustrates the anger of many progressive Democrats toward Netanyahu, whom they see as an obstacle to ending the war in Gaza and blame for the humanitarian crisis affecting Palestinian civilians in the region.
Still, Khanna said Sunday that any lawmakers who skip the speech should “be polite” about their decision.
He added: “We’re not going to make a big deal out of it. He is clearly addressing Congress, and there must be decorum.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
