Chicago – July 25, 2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is addressing a joint meeting of Congress as his nation continues to battle against Hamas in Gaza, though the welcome was not as warm as he may have liked.
Scores of Democratic lawmakers skipped his address in protest of Netanyahu’s leadership in the war, which has left almost 40,000 Palestinian civilians dead. The dozens of Democrats who didn’t attend Netanyahu’s address stretched beyond the progressive lawmakers who have been the Israeli leader’s most vocal critics in Congress. The wide-reaching absences underscore the prime minister’s shrinking support among lawmakers on the left.
Several prominent Democrats announced ahead of the speech that they wouldn’t be in attendance. In the hour before the address started, the Republican side of the aisle in the House chamber was noticeably more packed than the Democratic side.
