Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left for Washington Monday to deliver a landmark speech to the US Congress this week, at a time of strained relations between the two allies over the war in Gaza.
Netanyahu called the visit a “very important trip” that comes at a time of “great political uncertainty”, referring to US President Joe Biden’s decision not to seek re-election and as Washington pushes Israel to seek a ceasefire deal with Hamas.
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Israel’s longest-serving premier will on Wednesday become the first foreign leader to address a joint meeting of the two chambers four times — pulling ahead of Britain’s Winston Churchill on three.
Netanyahu said that in his address to the Congress, he would “seek to anchor the bipartisan support that is so important for Israel”.
“I will tell my friends on both sides of the aisle that regardless who the American people choose as their next president, Israel remains America’s indispensable and strong ally in the Middle East,” Netanyahu said in a statement released minutes before he departed from Ben Gurion airport.
Netanyahu will meet Biden during the visit to discuss how to achieve Israel’s goals in the ongoing war. Biden will remain president until January 20 next year.
“In this time of war and uncertainty, it’s important that Israel’s enemies know that America and Israel stand together today, tomorrow and always,” he said.
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Washington fears a backlash from the mounting civilian toll in the Gaza Strip, while protests in Israel by families of hostages taken by Hamas are also causing headaches for Netanyahu.
Biden and some Israeli ministers say a deal negotiated through Qatar, Egyptian and US mediators is possible.
A plan outlined in May proposed a six-week ceasefire when some Israeli hostages would be swapped for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
Israel has intensified its attacks on Gaza in recent weeks and Netanyahu has insisted that piling on military pressure is the only way to free the hostages and beat Hamas.
