Congressional Leaders, Divided Over War, Invite Netanyahu to Deliver Joint Address

The top four congressional leaders formally invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Friday to address a joint meeting of Congress, in a show of bipartisan unity that masked a fraught behind-the-scenes debate over receiving him.

The invitation, which set no date, came amid deep political divides in the United States over the war between Israel and Hamas, which has intensified after Israel’s recent attacks in Rafah.

Speaker Mike Johnson had been pressing to issue the invitation for weeks, seeking to hug Mr. Netanyahu closer as some Democrats, particularly progressives, repudiate him and condemn his tactics in the war, which have caused tens of thousands of civilian casualties in Gaza and a humanitarian disaster for Palestinians.

Republicans have unequivocally backed Mr. Netanyahu’s policies, while Democrats, many of whom view his far-right government as an impediment to peace, have been deeply split over them. On Friday, Mr. Biden called for a permanent cease-fire and said, “It’s time for this war to end.”

Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, earlier this year called for Mr. Netanyahu to step down and for new elections. In response, Mr. Netanyahu assailed Mr. Schumer in a closed-door virtual speech to Senate Republicans. Mr. Schumer at the time had refused to allow Mr. Netanyahu to make a similar address to Senate Democrats, arguing that it was not helpful to Israel for the prime minister to address American lawmakers in a partisan fashion.

Even before the invitation went out on Friday afternoon, the prospect of Mr. Netanyahu’s visit to the Capitol had divided Democrats. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont said he would boycott a speech from the prime minister, and House