Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) top deputy disagreed with his decision to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress, a sign the war in Gaza continues to divide the highest ranks of the Democratic Party.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), the majority whip, told reporters Tuesday that he would not have signed on to the letter inviting Netanyahu.

The invitation, drafted by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), was sent by each of the four congressional leaders in the House and Senate on Friday, but not without trepidation from Democrats, who are deeply critical of Netanyahu’s military operations in Gaza.

“I would not have sent a letter of invitation,” Durbin said.

It took weeks for Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in Washington, to put his own name on the invitation. He is an outspoken supporter of Israel but called for new elections in March in the face of what he called “dangerous and inflammatory policies” from the Netanyahu government.

Democrats have, by and large, supported Israel in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas invasion, but its casualty-heavy military response has tested the relationship, with President Joe Biden drawing a red line over Israel’s planned invasion of Rafah.

The post-war future of Gaza is part of the dispute. The Biden administration envisions a two-state solution once the conflict ends despite Netanyahu rejecting calls for Palestinian sovereignty.

Durbin cited Netanyahu’s resistance when asked why he opposes the invitation.

“I’ve been waiting for Prime Minister Netanyahu to embrace the two-state solution, which I believe is the only way to go forward in Israel,” he said.

The timing of the speech is uncertain. June 13 had been proposed, but the date falls on a Jewish holiday, prompting the Israeli government to reject it.

When Netanyahu does finally appear before Congress, it will be his fourth joint address, the most of any foreign leader. He last spoke before Congress in 2015, at the invitation of then-Speaker John Boehner.

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Several Democrats boycotted the speech at the time, given that then-President Barack Obama was kept in the dark about the invitation, though Schumer attended.

Democrats’ relationship with Netanyahu and his conservative governing coalition has long been tenuous. Last year, he faced scrutiny from the Biden administration over his attempts to reform the judicial system.