Protests and politics as Netanyahu addresses US Congress

Dozens of Democratic lawmakers planned to skip Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress on Wednesday, expressing dismay over the thousands of civilian deaths and the humanitarian crisis from Israel's campaign in Gaza.

The longtime Israeli leader will make a record fourth speech to a joint meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives at 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT), passing British wartime leader Winston Churchill, who made three such speeches.

Netanyahu's speech was expected to focus on coordinating the Israeli and U.S. response to the volatile situation in the Middle East, where there is a growing danger of the Gaza war spilling over into a wider regional conflict.

He was also expected to call for stronger action against Iran, which supports Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, both militant groups fighting Israel, and has drawn increased U.S. condemnation over its recent nuclear advances.

Republican leaders in Congress orchestrated the visit, but it was likely to be less confrontational than in 2015 when Republicans sidestepped then-President Barack Obama, a Democrat, and Netanyahu used his speech to criticize Obama's Iran policy.

This time, Netanyahu will seek to bolster his traditional links to Republicans but also look to ease tensions with President Joe Biden, a Democrat whose support he will rely on for the remaining six months of the president's term.

Washington is preoccupied with the fallout from Biden's announcement on Sunday that he was ending his reelection bid and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic presidential nomination to challenge Republican Donald Trump.

SOME LAWMAKERS STAY AWAY

Some lawmakers said they were uncomfortable about appearing to endorse Netanyahu and his hard-right coalition government as he faces declining poll numbers in Israel.

"For him, this is all about shoring up his support back home, which is one of the reasons I don't want to attend," Senator Chris Van Hollen told reporters. "I don't want to be part of a political prop in this act of deception. He is not the great guardian of the U.S.-Israel relationship."

A Republican House member, Representative Thomas Massie, also said he would not attend. "The purpose of having Netanyahu address Congress is to bolster his political standing in Israel and to quell int'l opposition to his war. I don't feel like being a prop so I won't be attending," he wrote on X.

Some of the most prominent Democrats planned to stay away. They included Senators Dick Durbin, the chamber's No. 2 Democrat, Tim Kaine, Jeff Merkley and Brian Schatz, all members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as well as Patty Murray, who chairs Senate Appropriations.

In the House, those staying away included progressive Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as Ami Bera, a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Adam Smith, the top Democrat on Armed Services.

Smith said he never attends joint meetings but also described himself on Tuesday as "very, very opposed to what Prime Minister Netanyahu is doing in Israel." 

Harris, who normally would preside over the speech as vice president, will not be attending. Neither will Republican Senator JD Vance, Trump's vice presidential running mate.

Murray would have presided, as the senior Senate Democrat, in Harris' absence. Democratic Senator Ben Cardin, who leads the foreign relations committee, will replace her.

NETANYAHU TO MEET BIDEN, HARRIS ON THURSDAY

Netanyahu will meet both Biden and Harris on Thursday. Harris has at times been more forward-leaning than her boss in criticizing Israel for heavy Palestinian civilian casualties in Gaza.

Netanyahu was to travel to Florida to meet with Trump on Friday. The meeting will be their first since the end of Trump's presidency, during which the two forged close ties.

Before addressing Congress, Netanyahu spoke at a memorial for Senator Joe Lieberman, who died in March, stressing the lawmaker's view that Israel must be allowed to achieve its goal of "disabling Hamas" and that the U.S. and Israel had a shared interest in a united front against Iran.

Several hundred activists staged a demonstration on Tuesday at a congressional office building, and mass protests were promised for Wednesday. The Capitol building was surrounded by high fencing and a heavy security presence.

Some protesters were out on Wednesday hours before Netanyahu's speech, holding signs including, "Stop War Crimes in Gaza." Dozens of Washington streets were closed, with some neighborhoods patrolled by New York City police officers.

Some Democrats said they were attending despite their concerns. 

"I sit in that chair that I was elected to sit in on days that I enjoy it and days that are iffy and days that I despise it or a mix of the latter two. But I'm elected to be in that seat," Representative Dan Kildee said.

"My constituents didn't elect me to show up only when I enjoy what I'm hearing. If I did that I would spend very little time on the floor of the House."