Rep. Ro Khanna Joins Other Lawmakers In Boycotting Netanyahu's Speech To Congress

California Rep. Ro Khanna became the latest Democratic lawmaker to announce his refusal to attend a highly anticipated speech before Congress by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing the leader’s role in continuing the devastating U.S.-funded military offensive in Gaza while rejecting efforts to prioritize a cease-fire deal.

Last month, a bipartisan group of top lawmakers invited Netanyahu to deliver an address to a joint session of Congress on July 24 in an effort to highlight the unwavering support the U.S. government has for Israel, which for more than eight months has rained bombs on the Palestinian enclave in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that killed about 1,200 people and abducted roughly 250, half of whom were released during a temporary cease-fire last year.

Israel’s military offensive has since killed more than 37,000 Palestinians — mostly women and children — displaced the majority of the population of 2.3 million, abducted and tortured Palestinian men and boys, destroyed hospitals and water and sewage infrastructure, and created a starvation crisis by blocking humanitarian aid from reaching civilians.

Multiple countries, human rights groups and international agencies have since accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians, an allegation the Israeli government and the U.S. deny. The International Criminal Court recently accused Netanyahu, his defense minister and three Hamas leaders of war crimes pertaining to the war.

The ongoing devastation by Netanyahu’s far-right government continues to create a deep division among U.S. lawmakers, many of whom believe inviting the Israeli leader to speak before Congress is inappropriate.

“I will not attend. I said that if he wants to come