Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized the invitation for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress in July, labeling it “wrong” and “sad.”
During an interview with CNN yesterday, she also reproached Netanyahu for hindering efforts to ameliorate the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
When asked if she would have extended the invitation if she were still Speaker, Pelosi replied, “Absolutely not,” adding that it would “invite more of what we’ve seen regarding discontent among our people.”
“Let’s try to have a two-state solution to make peace in the region rather than coming to the Capitol to draw protesters,” she suggested, alluding to the pro-Palestinian rallies held across the US, particularly on college campuses.
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Additionally, Pelosi expressed doubts about whether Netanyahu would remain Prime Minister by 24 July, the date of his scheduled address.
She said, “What’s happening? Everything I read is that they’re unhappy about this or unhappy about that. Not just [war cabinet minister] Benny Gantz, but other members of his cabinet.”
Netanyahu has recently faced resignation calls from the opposition, who accuse him of prioritizing personal interests over Israel’s. However, Netanyahu has rejected early elections amid the ongoing war and has refused to take responsibility for the “failure” resulting from the October 7 Hamas surprise attack.
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“We all love Israel, October 7 was terrible, Hamas is a terrorist organization, they are dedicated to the destruction of Israel,” Pelosi stated.
“The hostages are not free. The people of Gaza are suffering, we need to help them and not have Netanyahu stand in the way for such a long time,” she added.
According to The Times of Israel, US lawmakers have scheduled Netanyahu’s address to Congress for 24 July.
Nearly 60 Democrats boycotted Netanyahu’s last joint session address in 2015. Given the growing unpopularity of Israel’s war in Gaza among progressives, an even larger number of Democrats are likely to boycott Netanyahu’s speech in July.
Ongoing Genocide
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 37,124 Palestinians have been killed, and 84,712 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
(MEMO, PC)
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