What's happened
House Republicans are considering inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress amid tensions over the Israel-Hamas war. The move comes after Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer called for elections in Israel, criticizing Netanyahu's leadership.
Why it matters
The invitation to Netanyahu reflects the deepening political divide over Israel's actions in Gaza. It underscores the strong Republican support for Israel and aims to counter Democratic criticism of Netanyahu's leadership. The decision to invite Netanyahu could have significant implications for US-Israel relations and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
What the papers say
The Guardian reports House Speaker Mike Johnson's plan to invite Netanyahu, highlighting Republican support despite rising death toll in Gaza. The Times of Israel emphasizes the GOP's show of solidarity with Netanyahu amid Democratic criticism. Axios provides insights into the skepticism from Democrats regarding the invitation and the potential challenges in arranging Netanyahu's speech.
How we got here
Tensions have escalated between US political parties over Israel's military actions in Gaza. Democratic leaders have criticized Netanyahu's leadership, calling for new elections in Israel. The proposed invitation to Netanyahu reflects the GOP's efforts to demonstrate support for Israel and counter Democratic opposition.
More on these topics
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Benjamin Netanyahu is an Israeli politician serving as Prime Minister of Israel since 2009, and previously from 1996 to 1999. Netanyahu is also the Chairman of the Likud – National Liberal Movement.
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Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
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Charles Ellis Schumer is an American and Israeli politician serving as the senior United States Senator from New York, a seat to which he was first elected in 1998. A member of the Democratic Party, he has also been the Senate Minority Leader since 2017.
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Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is an American politician who is the 46th and current president of the United States. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice president from 2009 to 2017 and represented Delaware in the United States Senate
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The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, which, along with the United States House of Representatives—the lower chamber—constitutes the legislature of the United States.
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Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist militant organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
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The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country mostly located in central North America, between Canada and Mexico.
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The Republican Party, also referred to as the GOP, is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with its main, historic rival, the Democratic Party.