(NationalUSNews.com) — Online critics have taken aim at Democratic lawmakers, along with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, for planning to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak to members of Congress. Among the members of Congress pushing for the invite to Netanyahu is Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York), who claims that his office is currently collaborating with Johnson’s to create an official invitation for Netanyahu. While Congress hasn’t yet provided an official invitation to the prime minister, Schumer claims that the invitation should materialize within the next few days.
Despite Schumer and Johnson’s support for an invitation to Netanyahu, online commenters and former lawmakers don’t support the controversial invite. Among the former lawmakers criticizing Schumer and Johnson for the invite is Nina Turner, who once served as a state senator for Ohio. Turner described the invitation as “shameful” and said that Schumer and Johnson shouldn’t invite Netanyahu to speak to members of Congress. Turner isn’t alone in her criticism of Schumer and Johnson, as Jewish activists have condemned the impending invitation to Netanyahu.
Medea Benjamin is one such activist and helped found Code Pink, a global organization with an anti-war ideology. Benjamin claims that by inviting Netanyahu to speak to Congress, Schumer would be a “sellout.” Benjamin claims that Schumer shouldn’t invite Netanyahu to Congress despite sharing a cultural heritage with Israelis, given Israel’s approach to its ongoing war with Hamas. While Benjamin and Turner cited the invitation as inappropriate, other online critics have called Schumer a hypocrite for wanting to invite Netanyahu to Congress.
According to social media users, including an online journalist named Sana Saeed, Schumer publicly opposed Israel and its approach to fighting Hamas back in March. Schumer famously called for Israel to elect a new prime minister, citing Netanyahu as an ineffective and potentially dangerous leader for people in the Middle East. Saeed described the criticisms of Netanyahu as “theater” and an attempt by Democrats to distance President Biden from Israel’s controversial actions.
While Schumer did outwardly criticize Israel for its actions against Hamas, the senator also said that he’d be willing to invite Netanyahu to Congress in March. Schumer claims that Israel and the United States share a close bond that exceeds that of any political party or figurehead and that the United States should remain supportive of Israel. The invitation to Netanyahu comes at a controversial time, however, given the widespread anti-Israel protests on American college campuses.
President Biden recently addressed the protests publicly, claiming that protestors have the right to demonstrate but shouldn’t use violence. Schumer quickly criticized the protests, citing Israel’s longstanding alliance with the United States. Other Democrats supported the protestors, claiming that Israel had violated human rights in its offensive against Hamas. The Democratic Party remains largely torn on the Israel-Hamas war, which political experts believe could hurt President Biden’s chances at re-election.
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