LONDON: Top Israelis have joined calls in the US for Congress to cancel its invitation to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next month, The Guardian reported.
The plan for Netanyahu to address Congress is a “terrible mistake,” the former officials and cultural figures said in an op-ed in the New York Times.
The group includes a former prime minister and an ex-chief of Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence service.
They accused Netanyahu of “scandalous and destructive conduct,” including the failures that led to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack last year as well as the war in Gaza.
“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,” said the six authors.
“Inviting Mr. Netanyahu will reward his contempt for US 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 (US) President (Joe) Biden’s plan to remove Hamas from power in Gaza through the establishment of a peacekeeping force.”
The six authors were former Prime Minister Ehud Barak; former Mossad director Tamir Pardo; David Harel, president of Israel’s Academy of Sciences and Humanities; novelist David Grossman; Talia Sasson, former director of the Office of the State Attorney; and Nobel Prize-winning chemist Aaron Ciechanover.
Many Democrats in the US oppose Netanyahu’s planned appearance on Capitol Hill in late July.
Last week, he accused the Biden administration of undermining Israel’s war effort in Gaza by restricting weapon supplies.
Netanyahu was invited by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson. The visit was later endorsed by Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
A number of Democrats have said they will boycott the appearance, including Bernie Sanders, who described Netanyahu as a “war criminal.”
The authors of the op-ed noted growing public opposition to Netanyahu in Israel. “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,” they said.
“American lawmakers should not let that happen. They should ask Mr. Netanyahu to stay home.”
