US Congress Extends Wartime Support, Invites Netanyahu to Speak

Top US leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress. This invitation demonstrates wartime support for Israel despite political divisions over its military actions in Gaza. The event is expected to highlight election-year divisions in the US.

Top US leaders have invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver an address to Congress, a show of wartime support for the longtime ally despite mounting political divisions over Israel's military assault on Gaza.

The invitation from House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, along with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, has been in the works for some time. No date for the speech was set.

It comes as the Israel-Hamas war, now in its seventh month after the October 7 surprise attack by the Palestinian militant group, has caused widespread concerns in the US and abroad over Israel's conduct and the extensive civilian death toll.

A speech by Netanyahu would almost certainly expose election-year divisions in the US, where a growing number of Democrats have turned away from the right-wing prime minister, while Republicans draw ever closer to the Israeli leader.