House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress instead of visiting the White House amid tensions between the US and Israel.
McCarthy, who is visiting Israel with a bipartisan delegation of House members, criticized the White House for not hosting Netanyahu and expressed his frustration, saying, “It’s been too long.” He added that if a visit to the White House does not happen, he will invite Netanyahu to meet with the House, as he considers Netanyahu a “dear friend.”
The suggestion by McCarthy comes as the relationship between President Biden and Netanyahu has been strained. Biden has not yet invited Netanyahu to the Oval Office, which is seen as a rebuke to his new government’s efforts to gain more control over the Supreme Court.
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In 2015, Netanyahu addressed Congress to speak against President Obama’s plans to negotiate a nuclear weapons deal with Iran, which was considered a significant breach of protocol.
It remains to be seen whether Netanyahu will accept McCarthy’s invitation and how this will impact the complex relationship between the US and Israel.