No date has been set for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned address to a joint meeting of the US Congress, his office and congressional sources said on Monday, following reports that the leader’s speech had been set for June 13.
Without citing a source, a Punchbowl News reporter said on X, formerly Twitter, that Netanyahu would address a meeting of the US House of Representatives and the Senate on June 13. Politico and Bloomberg later reported the same date, citing unnamed sources.
That would bring the Israeli premier to Washington when US President Joe Biden, who has clashed with Netanyahu over the Gaza war, is expected to be in Puglia, Italy, for a June 13 to 15 G7 (Group of Seven) leaders’ summit. The US is Israel’s main ally and provides billions of dollars in aid.
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World leaders call for de-escalation after Iran launches air attack on Israel
World leaders call for de-escalation after Iran launches air attack on Israel
The Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement that a date for his address to Congress had yet to be set, but that it would not take place on June 13 because it is a Jewish holiday.
Addresses to joint meetings of Congress by foreign leaders are a rare honour generally reserved for the closest US allies or major world figures. Netanyahu has already given three such addresses, most recently in 2015.
This speech would make Netanyahu the first foreign leader to address joint meetings of Congress four times. He is currently tied at three with Britain’s wartime prime minister, Winston Churchill.
Also on Monday, the US said it wants the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution backing the proposal to end the fighting in Gaza through a ceasefire and hostage deal.
“Numerous leaders and governments, including in the region, have endorsed this plan and we call on the Security Council to join them in calling for implementation of this deal without delay and without further conditions,” said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US ambassador to the UN.
The Gaza war was precipitated by a Hamas-led attack on October 7 that killed around 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Palestinian health authorities estimate more than 36,280 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel attacked the enclave.
Biden’s support for Israel in its war against Hamas has emerged as a political liability for the president, particularly among young Democrats on the left, as he runs for re-election this year.
