Nearly 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza—including over 16,000 children—have been killed by Israeli forces since October, and the International Criminal Court is currently seeking an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Still, he came to address Congress on Wednesday. Thankfully, numerous Congress members, led by the lone Palestinian-American member, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), refused to roll out the red carpet for him. While several members boycotted, Tlaib attended and wielded a sign that read “WAR CRIMINAL” on one side and “GUILTY OF GENOCIDE” on the other. In May, Speaker Mike Johnson—who’s accepted over $100,000 from the pro-Israel PAC AIPAC—first invited Netanyahu to speak to Congress “to build on our enduring relationship and to highlight America’s solidarity with Israel." Ranking Democrats Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, as well as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, also signed onto Johnson's invitation at the time. This week, Johnson sent a letter to Congress members, threatening to arrest anyone who protested the Israeli war criminal’s remarks. Regardless, dozens of Democrats still either vocally criticized Netanyahu's presence or invited Palestinian guests as well as family members of Israeli hostages who have been abandoned by Netanyahu to his address. Only 100 of the 212 House Democrats and 27 of 51 Senate Democrats (and Democratic-caucusing Independents) attended Netanyahu's speech, per Axios. By comparison, in 2015, just 58 Democrats in Congress boycotted Netanyahu's speech to Congress. “Netanyahu is a war criminal committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” Tlaib said on Tuesday. “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.” In a lengthier letter, she wrote: “This event is a celebration of the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. 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.” Netanyahu labels American anti-genocide protesters as "useful idiots" and receives a standing ovation. Rep. Rashida Tlaib stays seated and holds up a sign that reads "WAR CRIMINAL". pic.twitter.com/F4XlGsDYKn — AIPAC Tracker (@TrackAIPAC) July 24, 2024 Before the address on Wednesday, Tlaib invited Hani Almadhoun, a Palestinian from Gaza who survived Israel’s genocidal campaign, to her office. “[Almadhoun] has lost over 150 members of his extended family in Netanyahu’s genocide,” she said. Sharing the story of how Almadhoun's sister had to eat animal feed to survive under Israel's blockade, she wrote in a follow-up tweet, “The Israeli apartheid regime is using starvation as a weapon of war, a war crime. They will not erase us. Palestinians exist and we deserve to live.” Prior to the speech, 50 House and Senate Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi, Sen Patty Murray (D-WA.), Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), stated that they would not attend, either to boycott or attend to other commitments. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called on Netanyahu to resign in March... though he still originally invited Netanyahu, then attended the speech and gave him a terse greeting. Meanwhile, President Biden missed the speech as he recovers from covid and Vice President and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is out of town for a campaign event in Indianapolis. Earlier this week, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) called Netanyahu “the worst leader in Jewish history since the Maccabean king who invited the Romans into Jerusalem over 2100 years ago.” Sanders on Tuesday called Netanyahu a war criminal on the Senate floor: “This will be the first time in American history that a war criminal will have the honor of addressing a joint meeting of Congress. With this invitation, it’s increasingly difficult, with a…
