Sen. Bernie Sanders plans boycott as some Democrats question planned Netanyahu speech to Congress

WASHINGTON—  Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., called out top leaders in both parties on Tuesday for welcoming Netanyahu to Congress, excoriating the Israeli prime minister as a “war criminal” amid the ongoing war with Gaza.

In an interview with NBC News Tuesday, Sanders lashed out at House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., for inviting Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress in the coming weeks.

“What Mr. Johnson is going to have to explain to the American people is why he thinks it’s okay to invite somebody to a joint session who is responsible for the deaths of some 38,000 Palestinians at this point, 60% of whom are women and children, elderly people,” Sanders said. (The U.N. cited a death toll of more than 36,000 Palestinians as of May 31.)

Reminded that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., as well as the minority leaders of both chambers, joined Johnson's invite to Netanyahu, Sanders said he "strongly" disagreed with the decision.

Asked if he voiced that disagreement to Schumer, Sanders dryly laughed. “I have made it very clear to anybody who would listen," he said.

His comments come as a growing group of Senate Democrats are expressing concern that Netanyahu’s address could be politically divisive, further exacerbating tensions in Congress and frustration with the Israeli military campaign. A date for the speech has not yet been set.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, of Illinois, the number two Senate Democrat, said Tuesday that he would not have invited Netanyahu to speak before Congress until the Israeli prime minister commits to a two-state solution. Durbin said he is concerned the address could be a reprise of Netanyahu’s controversial speech to a joint session in 2015 when he criticized the Obama