An anonymous letter supported by 230 staffers in the House of Representatives and the Senate is urging lawmakers to boycott a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is scheduled to address Congress later this month as Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza rages on.
The letter, organized by members of the Congressional Progressive Staff Association and endorsed by staffers representing the offices of 122 Democratic and Republican lawmakers, describes the demand for a boycott of Netanyahu’s speech as an “issue of morality” that transcends politics, and notes that “citizens, students, and lawmakers across the country and the world have spoken out against the actions of Mr. Netanyahu,” including Israeli citizens.
Several staffers (and some lawmakers) plan to skip the speech in protest of Israel’s relentless bombing and starvation campaign in Gaza. In their letter, the staffers urge their bosses to do the same.
“We hope you will join your fellow Members of Congress in protest at his speech or in refusing to attend it,” the staffers wrote.
Netanyahu’s speech is scheduled to happen on July 24. He was initially invited by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), who consulted the White House about the invitation.
Some Democratic lawmakers believe the invite was politically motivated, as Republicans began discussing the idea of having Netanyahu speak only after Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York), himself a Jewish lawmaker, criticized the Israeli prime minister in a speech on the Senate floor.
Dozens of Democratic lawmakers, including a large contingent of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, are expected to boycott Netanyahu’s speech. The chair of that caucus, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington), told The Associated Press last month that it was a “bad idea” to invite him to speak.
“We should be putting pressure on him” to abide by demands from President Joe Biden “by withholding offensive military assistance,” Jayapal said.
Some progressive senators, including Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) have also announced that they will be skipping the event in protest of Netanyahu’s actions as prime minister since last fall.
Since October 7, Israeli forces have massacred over 39,000 Palestinians in Gaza — including more than 15,000 children, per the latest figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Public health researchers have noted that the true death toll is likely far higher, with some estimating that Israel’s U.S.- backed genocide has killed at least 186,000 Palestinians so far.
We’re not backing down in the face of Trump’s threats.
As Donald Trump is inaugurated a second time, independent media organizations are faced with urgent mandates: Tell the truth more loudly than ever before. Do that work even as our standard modes of distribution (such as social media platforms) are being manipulated and curtailed by forces of fascist repression and ruthless capitalism. Do that work even as journalism and journalists face targeted attacks, including from the government itself. And do that work in community, never forgetting that we’re not shouting into a faceless void – we’re reaching out to real people amid a life-threatening political climate.
Our task is formidable, and it requires us to ground ourselves in our principles, remind ourselves of our utility, dig in and commit.
As a dizzying number of corporate news organizations – either through need or greed – rush to implement new ways to further monetize their content, and others acquiesce to Trump’s wishes, now is a time for movement media-makers to double down on community-first models.
At Truthout, we are reaffirming our commitments on this front: We won’t run ads or have a paywall because we believe that everyone should have access to information, and that access should exist without barriers and free of distractions from craven corporate interests. We recognize the implications for democracy when information-seekers click a link only to find the article trapped behind a paywall or buried on a page with dozens of invasive ads. The laws of capitalism dictate an unending increase in monetization, and much of the media simply follows those laws. Truthout and many of our peers are dedicating ourselves to following other paths – a commitment which feels vital in a moment when corporations are evermore overtly embedded in government.
Over 80 percent of Truthout‘s funding comes from small individual donations from our community of readers, and the remaining 20 percent comes from a handful of social justice-oriented foundations. Over a third of our total budget is supported by recurring monthly donors, many of whom give because they want to help us keep Truthout barrier-free for everyone.
You can help by giving today. Whether you can make a small monthly donation or a larger gift, Truthout only works with your support.