[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 115 (Thursday, July 11, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E720]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       WE ARE ISRAELIS CALLING ON CONGRESS TO DISINVITE NETANYAHU

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN B. LARSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 11, 2024

  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I would like to include in 
the Record the following guest essay published in The New York Times, 
which my dear friend and prominent constituent, Ralph Nader, shared 
with me.

                [From The New York Times, June 26, 2024]

       We Are Israelis Calling on Congress to Disinvite Netanyahu

     (By David Harel, Tamir Pardo, Talia Sasson, Ehud Barak, Aaron 
                    Ciechanover and David Grossman)

       The leaders of the U.S. Congress have invited Prime 
     Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to address a joint 
     meeting of the Senate and the House of Representatives on 
     July 24. Normally, we Israelis would consider the invitation 
     recognition of our two nations' shared values and a welcome 
     gesture from our closest friend and ally, to whom we are 
     deeply and morally indebted.
       But Congress has made a terrible mistake. Mr. Netanyahu's 
     appearance in Washington will not represent the State of 
     Israel and its citizens, and it will reward his scandalous 
     and destructive conduct toward our country.
       We come from a variety of areas of Israeli society: 
     science, technology, politics, defense, law and culture. We 
     are thus in a good position to assess the overall effect of 
     Mr. Netanyahu's government, and like many, we believe that he 
     is driving Israel downhill at an alarming speed, to the 
     extent that we may eventually lose the country we love.
       To date, Mr. Netanyahu has failed to come up with a plan to 
     end the war in Gaza and has been unable to gain the freedom 
     of scores of hostages. At the very least, an invitation to 
     address Congress should have been contingent upon resolving 
     these two issues and, in addition, calling for new elections 
     in Israel. Inviting Mr. Netanyahu will reward his contempt 
     for U.S. efforts to establish a peace plan, allow more aid to 
     the beleaguered people of Gaza and do a better job of sparing 
     civilians. Time and again, he has rejected President Biden's 
     plan to remove Hamas from power in Gaza through the 
     establishment of a peacekeeping force. Such a move would very 
     likely bring in its wake a far broader regional alliance, 
     including a vision to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, 
     which is not only in Israel's interest but also in the 
     interest of both political parties in the United States. Mr. 
     Netanyahu constitutes the main obstacle to these outcomes.
       The man who will address Congress next month has failed to 
     assume responsibility for the blunders that allowed the Hamas 
     assault, initially blaming security chiefs (then quickly 
     backtracking), and has yet to announce the establishment of a 
     direly needed state commission of inquiry headed by a Supreme 
     Court judge to look into the fiasco.
       Despite the fierce fighting in Gaza and daily casualties on 
     both sides, following Hamas's terrible attacks on Oct. 7, Mr. 
     Netanyahu continues to push forward with the authoritarian 
     remaking of Israel as if nothing has changed. The Israeli 
     police force, under the command of the far-right-wing 
     security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has cracked down 
     violently on demonstrators. The appointments of court judges 
     and a Supreme Court president remain on hold Central 
     scientific and cultural institutions continue to endure 
     governmental attempts at political control. Large sums of 
     money have been channeled recklessly to the ultra-Orthodox, 
     who by and large do not share the economic and security 
     burden of Israel's citizens, especially by remaining exempt 
     from serving in the military. Tuesday's Supreme Court ruling 
     overturning the exemption is a step forward, although the 
     practical impact is unclear, given that Mr. Netanyahu has 
     proposed enshrining the exemption in a law.
       Above all, many Israelis are convinced that Mr. Netanyahu 
     has obstructed proposed deals with Hamas that would have led 
     to the release of the hostages in order to keep the war going 
     and thus avoid the inevitable political reckoning he will 
     face when it ends.
       Mr. Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister, 
     whose support Mr. Netanyahu needs to maintain his government, 
     are strongly opposed to stopping the war in Gaza, even for a 
     temporary truce They demand that the Gaza Strip be conquered 
     and filled with new settlements.
       For months now, many of us have participated in nationwide 
     demonstrations demanding an immediate release of the 
     hostages, an end to the war and immediate elections. Polls of 
     Israelis show that a majority want immediate elections, or 
     elections right at the end of the war.
       A large portion of Israelis have lost faith in Mr. 
     Netanyahu's government. He is clinging to power thanks to a 
     tenuous parliamentary majority. That majority ignores the 
     plight of tens of thousands of Israelis displaced in the 
     south after the Hamas attack and in the north because of 
     attacks by Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the families of the 
     hostages, a powerful force now in Israel.
       That's where Mr. Netanyahu's speech to Congress fits in 
     with his political needs No doubt it will be carefully stage-
     managed to prop up his shaky hold on power and allow him to 
     boast to his constituents about America's so-called support 
     for his failed policies.
       His supporters in Israel will be emboldened by his 
     appearance in Congress to insist that the war continue, which 
     will further distance any deal to secure the release of the 
     hostages, including several U.S. citizens.
       Giving Mr. Netanyahu the stage in Washington will all but 
     dismiss the rage and pain of his people, as expressed in the 
     demonstrations throughout the country American lawmakers 
     should not let that happen. They should ask Mr. Netanyahu to 
     stay home.

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