Netanyahu

Which NY congressional reps boycotted Netanyahu’s speech?

 JULY 24, 2024 05:57 PM

By M.k.kaikalsozhan  blog reporter

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint session of Congress on July 24, 2024.

### Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Addresses Congress Amidst Controversy

On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the U.S. Congress regarding the ongoing war in Gaza and the critical need for continued support from the United States. This speech came at a tumultuous time for Netanyahu, who faces intense pressure from both domestic calls for his resignation and international protests against the war and its death toll. Notably, the protests extended to Congress itself, with at least 38 representatives boycotting Netanyahu's speech and only about half of the Democrats in attendance. Demonstrations also took place outside the Capitol during his address.

### New York Representatives' Positions on Netanyahu's Speech

#### Rep. Jamaal Bowman - DID NOT attend

Rep. Jamaal Bowman has been a vocal critic of Israel throughout the Gaza conflict. He stayed true to his stance by boycotting Netanyahu's address to Congress. In an op-ed for The Guardian on Wednesday, Bowman vehemently condemned the Israeli Prime Minister, labelling him a “genocidal war criminal.”

#### Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - DID NOT attend

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, like Bowman, is a member of the House’s progressive caucus and shares his critical views on Israel. On Tuesday, Ocasio-Cortez made a statement on X (formerly Twitter) where she referred to Netanyahu as “an authoritarian with warrant requests from the International Criminal Court,” and she committed to boycotting his speech.

#### Rep. Paul Tonko - DID NOT attend

Rep. Paul Tonko has consistently called for a ceasefire in Gaza. He expressed his reasons for boycotting Netanyahu's speech in a series of tweets on Wednesday morning, stating his belief that the Prime Minister would not address how to end the violence. Tonko chose instead to spend his time speaking with the families of hostages, members of Congress, and Israeli and Palestinian leaders who are working towards peace.

#### Rep. Nydia Velazquez - DID NOT attend

Rep. Nydia Velazquez has advocated for a ceasefire since the war began in October. She confirmed on Tuesday that she would boycott Netanyahu's speech. In a post on X, Velazquez described Netanyahu as “a major obstacle to achieving a permanent ceasefire.”

#### Rep. Yvette Clarke - May have attended

Rep. Yvette Clarke did not publicly declare any plans to boycott Netanyahu’s speech, nor was she listed among the reported attendees. She was not immediately available for comment regarding her stance.

### Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer - Attended

Schumer, as the highest-ranking Jewish government official in the US, holds significant influence regarding opinions on Israel and the ongoing war. Despite his support for Israel, he has been critical of Netanyahu, famously calling for his resignation and new elections in March. Nevertheless, Schumer was among the four signatories on the Israeli PM’s invitation and attended the speech.

### Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand - Attended

Gillibrand has shown consistent support for Israel throughout the conflict. She visited Israel in January with a group of congressional representatives and advocated for the release of hostages upon her return. After Netanyahu’s speech, she tweeted about the five American hostages and their families, reiterating the need to bring them home.

### House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries - Attended

Jeffries has maintained a balanced stance on the Gaza war, supporting Israel's right to exist while criticizing the high death toll and emphasizing the need for humanitarian aid. Though he has not publicly commented on Netanyahu’s speech, he attended as one of the four signatories on the bipartisan invitation to the Israeli PM.

### Rep. Gregory Meeks - Attended

Meeks, a longtime supporter of Israel, recently approved an $18 billion arms package for Israel as the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, despite concerns about the weapons' potential use. He confirmed his attendance at Netanyahu’s speech in an NPR interview.

### Rep. Jerrold Nadler - Attended

Nadler, like Schumer, supports Israel but criticizes Netanyahu. He condemned Netanyahu in a tweet, calling him “the worst leader in Jewish history since the Maccabean king who invited the Romans into Jerusalem over 2100 years ago.” Despite his strong views, Nadler attended the speech out of respect for Israel and the office of the Prime Minister, later describing the address as “fundamentally dishonest” on MSNBC.

### Rep. Ritchie Torres - Attended

Torres has been a staunch supporter of Israel since the war began, causing friction with the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Following Netanyahu’s speech, he tweeted, calling himself “a proud champion of the world’s greatest friendship” in reference to the US-Israel alliance.

### Rep. Patrick Ryan - Attended

Ryan, though critical of Netanyahu and an advocate for a temporary ceasefire and increased humanitarian aid to Gaza, attended Netanyahu’s speech. He expressed his attendance as a sign of deep respect for the US-Israel alliance in a statement to City & State.

### Rep. Tom Suozzi - Attended

Suozzi, along with Senators Christopher Coons, Michael Bennet, and Representative Chrissy Houlahan, issued a joint statement prioritizing the return of hostages as the primary goal of the war. They urged Netanyahu to avoid partisan language in his speech, highlighting objectives such as ending the fighting, providing humanitarian aid, and normalizing Israel-Saudi Arabia relations.