Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) announced she is planning to boycott “war criminal” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before Congress on Wednesday.
In a post on X, Ocasio-Cortez described Netanyahu being invited to speak before a joint meeting of House and Senate members as being “a dark day” in the history of the United States. Netanyahu landed in the United States Monday evening ahead of his speech on Wednesday.
“It is a dark day in US history when an authoritarian with warrant requests from the International Criminal Court is allowed to address a joint session of Congress,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote. “40k Palestinians are dead. Hostages aren’t home. Netanyahu is a war criminal. I will be boycotting his address.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s comments regarding an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) come after a prosecutor from the court had requested arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and several Hamas leaders in May.
It is a dark day in US history when an authoritarian with warrant requests from the International Criminal Court is allowed to address a joint session of Congress.
40k Palestinians are dead.
Hostages aren’t home.
Netanyahu is a war criminal.
I will be boycotting his address.— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 23, 2024
In June, Netanyahu was invited to speak before members of the United States House and Senate in a letter signed by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
Since Netanyahu was invited to speak, several lawmakers have expressed that they will not be attending his speech. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) previously said he would “not attend” the speech given by “war criminal Netanyahu.”
Vice President Kamala Harris and Senate President Pro-Tempore Patty Murray (D-WA) have also reportedly refused to preside over Netanyahu’s speech.
Netanyahu’s speech comes as he has received criticism over Israel’s ongoing military offensive operation in the Hamas-controlled territory of Gaza.
Hamas terrorists launched a land, sea, and air invasion of Israel, leaving 1,200 people murdered and more than 250 people taken as hostages. In response to Hamas’s attack, Israel announced a “complete siege” of the Gaza Strip and launched its military offensive operation to destroy Hamas.
On Tuesday, hundreds of anti-Israel protesters gathered in the rotunda of the Cannon House Office Building in protest of Netanyahu’s speech.