News: Sanders on Netanyahu’s Speech in Congress This Week

WASHINGTON, July 22 (Reuters) – Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) today issued the following statement ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech in a joint session of the House and Senate this week. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks in front of parliament on Wednesday.

I agree with the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the UN Independent Commission that Benjamin Netanyahu and Yahya Sinwar are war criminals. Under Sinwar’s leadership, Hamas began this war with a horrific attack on Israel, killing 1,200 innocent men, women and children and capturing 240 people.

Read More : Update Global Crowdstrike Outage

See More : https://heylink.me/sabrina-zahira

In response, Prime Minister Netanyahu and his right-wing government launched an all-out war against the Palestinian people, killing at least 39,000 Palestinians and injuring 89,000 people, 60 percent of whom were women, children and the elderly. What’s more, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s war machine has made life in Gaza uninhabitable, destroying housing supplies, physical infrastructure, and the health care system. All universities were bombed, and 88 percent of buildings were damaged. And due to continued restrictions on humanitarian aid, about 495,000 people are currently experiencing extreme food insecurity or hunger.

NOT. Prime Minister Netanyahu should not be allowed to attend the US Congress. Instead, his policies in Gaza and the West Bank and his refusal to support a two-state solution should be strongly condemned. In my opinion, its right-wing extremist government should not accept a single penny from American taxpayers to continue the inhumane destruction of Gaza.

Netanyahu faces a tricky balancing act in the US after Biden drops out of the race

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the United States this week amid pressure from the Israeli and American governments to end the war in Gaza. How might political instability in Washington affect future travel and relationships?

Prime Minister Netanyahu will meet with Joe Biden (assuming the president has recovered from COVID-19) He is scheduled to address a joint session of the House and Senate, making him president-elect. The fourth foreign leader to do so.

The visit provides an opportunity to restore relations with Washington, which has been strained for months due to its hardline approach to the war, and to reassure Israel that relations with its key ally are not harmed.

But this may be overshadowed by President Biden’s decision not to run for re-election, highlighting political uncertainty regarding Israel’s next partner in the White House and potentially obscuring some of the attention on Biden’s trip. Netanyahu.

Capitol Building gets ready ahead of Netanyahu’s speech

Thousands of people are expected to gather at the Reichstag to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit, and most of the Reichstag campus will be closed to the public on Wednesday.

The Capitol Visitor Center and Library of Congress are closed to tourists, and the U.S. Botanical Gardens are also closed, just in time for plant lovers to enjoy the blooming of the iconic carrion flower. The US Capitol Police are preparing for a massive demonstration.

“For security reasons, we never disclose specific security details, but in general, our plan includes additional personnel, including personnel from several external agencies “We have sufficient resources to accomplish our mission,” a Capitol Police spokesman said. Be informed.

The spokesman said the ministry had been “operating in an environment with increased threats for several months” prior to Netanyahu’s visit and was working closely with “federal, state and local partners.” Prime Minister Netanyahu was invited by House and Senate leaders to address Congress in May, much to the chagrin of many activists and progressive Democrats.

Israel’s attack on Gaza began after the October 7 Hamas attack that killed more than 1,100 people and took hundreds of others hostage. Israeli forces have killed about 40,000 Palestinians in recent months, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

The conflict has drawn international condemnation, sparking divisions within the Democratic Party and sparking a series of protests in and around the Capitol since October last year, which could potentially culminate with the appearance of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday.

On Tuesday night, members of the Hostage and Missing Families Forum and Israeli hostage families gathered near the parliament building to ask Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring back their loved ones. On Wednesday morning, the Church for Middle East Peace, a coalition of denominations and religious groups, will hold a prayer service near the Capitol. In the afternoon, several groups announced plans to protest Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech scheduled for 2 p.m.

The “Code Pink” group, which had been stationed in the Reichstag office building since the beginning of the war, collaborated with other groups to “besiege” the Reichstag and “arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged crimes committed by his people”. said it would issue a notice. “Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to Congress and the United States confirms what we already know: the United States is committed to the economy and morals. This means that we provide support.” Statement

The organizer of the Congressional Staff Armistice, an underground group of House staff, confirmed that the group would “hold a demonstration this week to protest Prime Minister Netanyahu’s public relations action at Congress.”

Despite talk of a boycott, opposition programs and demonstrations in Congress, most Democratic lawmakers remained silent about their exact plans on Wednesday. Others have announced that they will not attend the speech, including Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, Brian Schatz of Hawaii, and Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu is unacceptable in the US Congress. Instead, his policies in Gaza and the West Bank and his refusal to support a two-state solution should be condemned as harshly as possible.”

Congressman Maxwell Frost of Florida, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, who called for a ceasefire, said he “probably won’t attend,” but he doesn’t know how many other House Democrats will ultimately boycott. He said no. During Netanyahu’s last visit to Congress in 2015, more than 50 Democrats were invited to join the Democratic Party.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson issued a strong threat to members of Congress who interrupted Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech. Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson issued a sharp threat to lawmakers who interrupted Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech.

“There are a number of Democrats in the House who have said they will boycott the event, and some others are going to protest,” said a speaker at the Republican Jewish Federation event at the Republican National Convention last week. “We’ll have an additional sergeant in the courtroom, so if someone gets out of control… We will make arrests if necessary.”

His office declined to comment on Monday when asked if it supported the statement.
The Honorable Companion Letter distributed and obtained by House Weapons Sergeant William P. McFarland during Friday’s absence said that law enforcement anticipated there would be “massive demonstrations throughout the day,” and that the architect of the Capitol was also described as one of the “similar” rebels. Recent state of the nation speeches will have scale limitations.

The Metropolitan Police announced parking restrictions near the Parliament campus from 5am to 6pm on Wednesday, saying the public should be prepared for “regular road closures and traffic jams”.

”I’m always worried about security”

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech to Congress comes at a difficult time for American politics. More than a week has passed since a gunman attempted to kill Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania. And President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee, withdrew from the race on Sunday after weeks of mounting pressure.

A senior Republican aide, who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the press, said there would be “real chaos” at the Capitol, but Capitol Police and my Sergeant were reassured. ..” Capitol Campus Security.”

“But most of the security issues arose after Democratic leaders voted against a bill that would limit the USCP and fund the SAA,” the aide said, referring to a bill that would fund the austere agency.

For others, the meeting of events leading up to Netanyahu’s visit has left them uneasy.

“There are still a lot of staff currently working in the House who are here on Jan. 6,” a senior Democratic staffer said, referring to a 2021 mob attack aimed at stopping Congress from certifying Biden’s victory in the presidential election. “Every day that tightens security in the House, be it the arrival of the president or other foreign officials, there is always an uncomfortable feeling about safety.”

Although he heard of offices asking their staff to work remotely on the day of his speech, he said he was not aware of any office that had formally submitted such a request.

“Especially with regard to the Israeli/Palestinian issue, there are more reasons for staff to consider their own safety, especially since outside groups have come to the Capitol and disrupted staff and members as they move around the building,” he said.

Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, a Democrat from Virginia, did not confirm on Monday whether he would be in the courtroom during Netanyahu’s speech. When asked about security, he nodded at concerns about the safety of staff and lawmakers.

“I’m always worried about security,” said Connolly, whose district office was attacked last year by constituents carrying batons.

“Of course after hearing this, we should all be worried about safety,” Florida Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz said Monday as he walked out of the courtroom at Rayburn Building. Inside, members of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee are examining Secret Service Director Kimberly A. Cheatle for a security breach at a Pennsylvania rally that led to an assassination attempt against Trump.

“As such, I think the Capitol Police and everyone today have a higher sense of security based on the failure that occurred a week ago,” Moskowitz said.