Photo credit: WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM/swiss-image.ch/Photo Jolanda Flubacher
On June 26, the New York Times published an op-ed by a handful of prominent Israelis entitled “We are Israelis Calling on Congress to Disinvite Netanyahu.” One of them was former Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Barak. Another was the esteemed novelist David Grossman. The effort was organized by a third author, Talia Sasson who is NIF’s former board president and current co-chair of NIF’s International Council.
The article called on Congressional leaders to rescind the invitation extended to Netanyahu to come speak to Congress on July 24, 2024.
Talia and her co-authors wrote that Israelis would normally consider the invitation “a welcome gesture from our closest friend and ally.” But not now. Netanyahu, they argue, should not address Congress because he and his government have lost the confidence of the Israeli public. Despite his public posturing, Netanyahu has repeatedly rebuffed U.S.-led efforts to resolve the conflict in Gaza and return Israeli hostages. He has articulated no plan whatsoever for what happens in Gaza after the war ends. Even if the war’s aims are successful—a big if—the humanitarian crisis and power vacuum left behind will wreak havoc for generations. And, they write, in order to remain in power, Netanyahu has allowed the government’s rightward lurch to continue unabated—from undermining democratic norms, to ignoring the needs of Israelis evacuated from border areas while rushing support for ultra-Orthodox institutions, to turning a blind eye to anti-Palestinian settler violence.
Following Talia and her co-authors’ lead, the New Israel Fund invited Americans to ask Congressional leaders to listen to the voices of these patriotic Israelis and cancel the Netanyahu address. NIF will deliver this letter with all of the signatures to the top four leaders in Congress. Click here to add your name to the letter before it is too late.
A protest is also being organized in Washington, DC, near the Capitol Building at noon on July 24, 2024. Follow UnXeptable on Facebook for more information on this protest.