House Speaker Mike Johnson considering inviting Israel PM Netanyahu to address Congress

WASHINGTON – House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is considering inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., delivered a scathing speech criticizing Netanyahu last week.

“It’s one of the things that we have in mind and we may try to arrange for that,” Johnson told reporters Wednesday. “I think it’s very important for us to show solidarity and support with Israel right now in their time of great struggle and we certainly stand for that position and we’ll try to advance that in any way we can.”

Johnson also said at the House GOP leadership’s weekly news conference that he had a “lengthy conversation” over the phone with Netanyahu on Wednesday morning. Axios was first to report House Republicans were weighing inviting Netanyahu to Capitol Hill.

Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish U.S. official, blasted Netanyahu last week on the Senate floor, calling for Israelis to hold new elections to replace Netanyahu, saying the prime minister “no longer fits the needs of Israel after October 7” and is “an obstacle to peace.”

Schumer’s remarks garnered serious blowback from congressional Republicans. Johnson called his speech last week “highly inappropriate” and “just plain wrong for an American leader to play such a divisive role in Israeli politics while our closest ally in the region is in an existential battle for its very survival.”

Typically, both House and Senate leadership invite foreign leaders to address joint sessions of Congress but Schumer’s reproach of Netanyahu indicates there is little appetite from the top Senate Democrat to extend an invitation. Johnson could invite the Israeli Prime Minister to address just the House, but the speaker noted they have yet to talk about logistics.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike Johnson considering inviting Netanyahu to address Congress