‘I think this is wrong’: Pelosi comes out against Netanyahu’s Congress invite

Former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi tells CNN she thought it was wrong that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received an invitation to speak at Congress next month.

Pelosi adds that she thought it was “inappropriate” for him to speak to Congress the last time he was invited in 2015, when Republican Congressional leaders went behind the back of then-US president Barack Obama for the Israeli premier to lobby against the nuclear deal that Washington wound up signing with Iran later that year.

“I think this is wrong,” Pelosi says, and says she would have “absolutely not” backed the invite had she been in her former position.

“I feel it’s very sad that he has been invited, but who knows by then. Will he still be prime minister? What is Benny Gantz going to be saying tomorrow?” she says, referencing the war cabinet minister’s press conference tonight when he is expected to withdraw from the coalition.

“What’s happening? Everything I read is that they’re unhappy about this or unhappy about that. Not just Benny, but other members of his cabinet,” she says, referencing squabbles within Netanyahu’s coalition.

“I wish that he would be a statesman and do what is right for Israel. We all love Israel. We all fought for Israel. October 7 was terrible. Hamas is a terrorist organization. They’re dedicated to the destruction of Israel. The hostages are not free. The people of Gaza are suffering. We need to help them not have him stand in the way of that for such a long time, him being Benjamin Netanyahu,” she states, adding that the speech will likely cause more harm than good, and calling for a two-state solution.

Bash: If you were Speaker, would you have invited Netanyahu?

Pelosi: No, absolutely not. I think this is wrong.. I feel it's very sad that he has been invited, but who knows by then.. will he still be prime minister? pic.twitter.com/4R0ZgMZhto

— Acyn (@Acyn) June 7, 2024