Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) blasted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress on Wednesday as “utterly immoral and cruel,” confirming she will not attend as many Democrats boycott the speech.
The progressive has been one of the most vocally critical members of Congress against the Israeli government amidst the Israel-Hamas war.
“It is utterly immoral and cruel to the millions of lives impacted by [Netanyahu’s] catastrophic actions to platform him, let alone give him the honor of addressing Congress,” she wrote in a statement. “He is a war criminal who is actively committing genocide against the Palestinian people while putting the lives of the hostages and the stability of the region in jeopardy. I fully agree with the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice that he should be held accountable for his crimes, not addressing Congress.”
A rising number of Democrats, including members supportive of Israel, have said they will skip Netanyahu’s speech. Both Vice President Harris and GOP vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) will not attend.
Omar said Netanyahu’s government is responsible for “one of the worst humanitarian disasters in modern history,” referring to shortages of food, water and medical supplies in Gaza. Over 38,000 Palestinians have died in the conflict, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), the most senior Jewish Democrat in the House, denounced Netanyahu on Tuesday but affirmed that he will attend the speech.
“Benjamin Netanyahu is the worst leader in Jewish history since the Maccabean king who invited the Romans into Jerusalem over 2100 years ago,” he wrote in a statement. “The Prime Minister is putting the security of Israel, the lives of the hostages, the stability of the region, and longstanding Israeli democratic norms in perilous jeopardy, simply to maintain the stability of his far-right coalition and absolve him of his own legal troubles.”
“Tomorrow's address is the next step in a long line of manipulative bad-faith efforts by Republicans to further politicize the U.S.-Israel relationship for partisan gain and is a cynical stunt by Netanyahu aimed at aiding his own desperate political standing at home,” he continued. “There is no question in my mind it should not be happening.”
Mass protests are expected around the Capitol surrounding the speech Wednesday afternoon. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) warned early Wednesday that disruptions could lead to arrests.
