Democrats Bail on Netanyahu's Address

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address a joint session of Congress at 2pm Wednesday and, in his words, "present the truth about our just war." The BBC reports he comes at the invitation of House Speaker Mike Johnson and will make the rounds after his congressional appearance. Netanyahu will meet with President Biden and Vice President Harris before heading to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Donald Trump on Friday. More:

• A political divide: The Washington Post describes divergent views: "Netanyahu has come to embody the Biden administration's frustrations with an ally that some officials see as having exploited America's support to mete out excessive punishment to civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. Republicans, by contrast, have embraced Netanyahu—seeking to portray the right-wing leader as a cherished ally, betrayed and undermined by President Biden and the Democrats in Israel's most critical hour of need."

• Democrats bailing: The Post reports dozens of Democratic lawmakers intend to skip the speech, among them Sens. Dick Durbin, Bernie Sanders, Patty Murray, Elizabeth Warren, and Chris Van Hollen. Johnson has said there will be arrests "if we have to do it" should any protests occur within the House of Representatives chamber.
• Harris won't be there, either: NBC News reports that as president of the Senate, Harris would typically preside over the address, but she will also not attend. Johnson called her absence "inexcusable" and said she should be "held accountable" for it; she will be in Indianapolis on Wednesday.
• Protesters arriving: The BBC reports thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters are expected in Washington for what they have termed a "day of rage."
• Odd timing: Politico reports that an address like Netanyahu's "would normally take up the political oxygen in Washington in the weeks leading up." But against the backdrop of the attempted assassination of Trump and Biden exiting the race, Netanyahu's visit is "barely registering," as one Senate aide put it.
• Bit of trivia: This marks the fourth time Netanyahu has addressed Congress, a record for foreign leaders, per the Post. He last addressed Congress in March 2015.

(More Benjamin Netanyahu stories.)