House Speaker Mike Johnson officially announced on X that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address Congress later in June. The announcement comes after much speculation over Netanyahu’s anticipated appearance.

“I am pleased to announce with @LeaderMcConnell that Israeli PM Netanyahu will address a joint meeting of Congress on July 24th,” Johnson posted.

“We look forward to hearing the Israeli government’s vision for defending democracy, combating terror, and establishing a just and lasting peace in the region,” he said.

Netanyahu’s office initially declined the proposed date of June 13 to address Congress, as reported by the Washington Examiner. The reasons for this decision were multifaceted, including the date coinciding with the first day of the G7 Summit in Italy and falling on the second day of the Jewish holiday Shavuot.

This will be the first time Netanyahu addressed Congress since 2015 when then-Speaker John Boehner invited Israel’s Prime Minister to offer criticism of the much-beleaguered nuclear deal with Iran. As the Washington Examiner previously reported, Netanyahu’s appearance was quite controversial at the time, mainly because then-President Obama was not given advance notice of Netanyahu’s appearance. The invite was considered political subterfuge and an attempt to sabotage the nuclear deal. Several Democrats boycotted Netanyahu’s address as a result. 

History is expected to repeat itself during this Netanyahu address as several Democrats in Congress have expressed displeasure with the prospect of an appearance by Israel’s Prime Minister during the current military conflict between Israel and Hamas. Several Democrats have recently criticized the idea of Netanyahu speaking before Congress. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“I still feel like this is a terrible time for him to come,” Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT)  said to the Washington Examiner. “We have this ceasefire on the table. I have strong concerns that it undermines not just the president but also undermines all of the Israelis who have taken to the streets in the last few days, demanding that Netanyahu take this deal.”

Moreover, earlier this week, before Netanyahu’s appearance was officially announced, other Democrats claimed that they would consider boycotting Netanyahu’s speech. Among them were Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA).

“My opinion on this is pretty clear: He shouldn’t be here,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). “He shouldn’t be addressing Congress. I don’t think that it is productive for a Republican or Democrat to invite him.”