Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) on Tuesday called it "utterly disgraceful" that Congress has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address it on Wednesday.
“Netanyahu is a war criminal committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American in the House or Senate, said in a statement. “It is utterly disgraceful that leaders from both parties have invited him to address Congress. He should be arrested and sent to the International Criminal Court.”
Tlaib has been an outspoken advocate for Palestinians in Gaza. She was censured last year over her criticism of Israel.
She is one of several Democrats frustrated with the invitation and Netanyahu’s war in Gaza. The Israeli leader claims he won’t back down until Hamas is destroyed and the remaining hostages are returned.
Advocacy organizations warn that famine is possibly underway in Gaza, as millions of Palestinians are displaced due to the war. More than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed, the Health Ministry said.
Several Democratic lawmakers will boycott Netanyahu’s Wednesday address. Vice President Kamala Harris, the party's likely presidential nominee after President Biden dropped out, will skip the address.
Capitol Police confirmed that it would be adding officers from outside agencies to help staff the high-security event. Pro-Palestine protesters were arrested Tuesday in the Capitol complex and tens of thousands of people plan to march on the Capitol during the speech..
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) urged members to show decorum and said arrests would be made if protesters disrupted the address. Tlaib said the event is a “celebration of the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians” and protested her colleagues’ decision to invite him.
“It is a sad day for our democracy when my colleagues will smile for a photo op with a man who is actively committing genocide. It is hypocritical to claim to be concerned about the massive death toll of innocent civilians, and then turn around and welcome the person responsible for these war crimes to our Capitol,” Tlaib said in her statement.
“Their silence is betrayal, and history will remember them accordingly. Our government must stop supporting and funding this genocide now," she continued.
