Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) labeled it a “mistake” for Democrats to back Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress.
“Yes, I’ve expressed that view,” he stated on CBS’s “Face the Nation” when asked about the Democrats’ support for the visit. “But the reality is, he came. Those of us who believed it was a mistake showed our disagreement by not attending.”
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.)
Van Hollen, a vocal critic of Israel and U.S. support for the country, was among several Democratic lawmakers who chose to skip Netanyahu’s address. He remarked on the House floor earlier this month that inviting the Israeli leader to the Capitol “sends a terrible message.”
Netanyahu’s joint session speech to Congress last week faced opposition from some Democratic lawmakers and activists, who protested outside the Capitol. Additionally, Van Hollen criticized Netanyahu for using Congress as a “prop” in his speech.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu used Congress to boost his support in Israel, especially among his right-wing extremists. Those who applauded his speech enthusiastically were Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, very right-wing extremists,” he said, referring to Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
