cryptoflovecraft — 1 year ago(June 11, 2024 12:29 PM)

Israel's poodle: the USA.
After Republicans and Democrats joined forces to welcome the Israeli prime minister, progressives began vowing to boycott the speech.
By John Nichols
The Nation
US Representative Delia Ramirez, an Illinois Democrat who has emerged as one of Capitol Hill’s most persistent advocates for international human rights, responded to the decision by House and Senate leaders to invite Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress with an observation that summed up the latest abandonment of conscience by the top Republicans and Democrats who have failed to hold the Israeli prime minister to account for an assault on Gaza that has now killed almost 37,000 Palestinian men, women, and children.
“A war criminal addressing a joint session of Congress on Thursday the 13th sounds like the twisted plotline of a bad horror movie,” said Ramirez, amid press reports that Netanyahu had accepted an invitation by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, (D-NY), and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to speak before the legislative branch.
It was initially reported that Netanyahu’s speech would take place on June 13, but that’s a Jewish holiday, so Johnson’s office scrambled to pick a new date. Late on Thursday, that new date was announced: July 24.
The schedule change doesn’t alter the fact that the speech is an unsettling prospect for members of Congress who respect the rule of law and want to achieve a just peace in the Middle East. Netanyahu, a scandal-plagued political pariah, whose collective punishment of Gazan civilians following the October 7 Hamas attack has inspired protests in Israel and around the world, faces the prospect of criminal prosecution for his actions. International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan signaled on May 20 that he would seek an arrest warrant for Netanyahu on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, as part of a broader prosecution that also targets Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders: Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh.
Instead of responding with respect for international law and the ICC’s vital role in upholding human rights, most US officials, including President Biden, attacked the court. Republicans in Congress moved to place sanctions on the ICC, with House Speaker Johnson declaring, “The ICC has to be punished for this action.” On Tuesday, the House approved that punishment—with a bipartisan majority of 247 in favor and 155 opposed—which would revoke US visas for officials associated with the international court and block the entry of ICC lawyers and others into the United States.
In a parallel rejection of the ICC’s legitimacy and authority, which the US has never formally embraced, the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Congress issued the invitation to Netanyahu.
Responsible members of Congress now must deal with the shameful circumstance that will unfold if and when the prime minister arrives in Washington. Do they want to engage in a symbolic protest of Netanyahu’s appearance? Do they want to boycott it? What specific objections do they want to raise at a time when the Israeli air strikes on the Gaza city of Rafah have horrified key US allies such as French President Emmanuel Macron, who declared, “These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians,” and called for “full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire.”
One of the most outspoken critics of Netanyahu and US policies regarding Palestine, US Representative Mark Pocan (D-WI), has argued that Netanyahu should be pressured to sit down with members of Congress and face frank questions about his actions. “A number of us have great concerns about how you’ve conducted the collective punishment of millions and possible war crimes,” said Pocan, in a social media post directed at the prime minister. “Also, I hear there may be an arrest warrant to deal with,” wrote Pocan, who added, “See you soon?”
Netanyahu did not respond and, in all likelihood, he will be shielded by House and Senate leaders from anything akin to accountability—though there is the prospect that some sort of protest could occur within the chamber. There is also the likelihood that protests and press conferences condemning Netanyahu’s eventual appearance will take place outside the Capitol and that some members might embrace opportunities to express pointed objections to the invite and to Netanyahu’s policies.
The last time Netanyahu addressed Congress came in 2015, when he was invited by Republicans at a time of heightened tensions between the Israeli government and the administration of former President Barack Obama over US negotiations with Iran. At least 50 House Democrats and eight senators chose not to attend the session. Notably, then–Vice President Joe Biden, the president of the Senate, skipped the address as well.
This time, severa