WASHINGTON DC: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Republican senators on Wednesday (March 20) that Israel will continue to fight to defeat the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“He’s going to do what he says. He’s going to get it done,” said Idaho Sen. Jim Risch.
Netanyahu spoke to Republican senators via video link nearly a week after Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, criticized Netanyahu as an obstacle to peace and pushing for new elections in Israel.
This meeting emphasized the politicization of Washington’s policy towards Israel. Netanyahu, who is close to the Republican Party, accused Schumer of trying to overthrow him.
“We asked him for updates on the war, the release of hostages and efforts to defeat Hamas. We told him that Israel has the right to defend itself and he said that is what they are doing,” said Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming.
Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) Mike Johnson, who is also a Republican, said he was thinking about inviting Netanyahu to speak to Congress.
The Democratic Party itself is currently facing internal divisions regarding how to respond to the humanitarian disaster in Gaza triggered by the Israel-Hamas war.
Schumer’s spokesman said Netanyahu had offered to speak to Democratic senators, but Schumer declined, saying the matter should not be politicized.
“I care deeply about Israel and its future. When you politicize this issue, you make it harder to help Israel,” Schumer said.
Progressives are urging President Joe Biden to put more pressure on Netanyahu to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where more than 30,000 civilians have died so far in the long-running conflict.
Risch, the most senior Republican senator on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, said Netanyahu had discussed the issue of civilian casualties and the importance of providing more aid to Gaza.
He said Netanyahu “strongly supports” plans to build temporary docks and bring in aid by sea.
