Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Reuters)

The American news site Axios said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may face a widespread boycott from "progressive lawmakers" if he accepts an invitation to speak before the US Congress.

The website quoted Democratic Representatives Chuy Garcia, Maxwell Frost, and Jamal Bowman that they will not attend Netanyahu's speech in Congress.

Frost justified his position by saying that Netanyahu is a "bad person," while Democratic Representative Annie Koster said that people are disappointed in the way Israel's war on the Gaza Strip is being conducted.

Bowman said in a statement to Axios that nothing Netanyahu will say can help his constituency at all, explaining that his voters are angry about the war that Israel is waging in the Gaza Strip.

The same website also quoted Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib as saying that Netanyahu should not come to Congress, but should be sent to The Hague, in reference to the International Court of Justice.

The Punchball News website reported on Wednesday that US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer rejected Netanyahu's request to speak before the Democratic bloc in the Senate.

The website reported that Schumer said that these talks should not be conducted in a “partisan manner.”

Pressure on Israel

Schumer also told reporters, "I care very much about Israel and its long-term future. Making the issue partisan hurts the cause of helping Israel."

Progressives asked Democratic President Joe Biden to put greater pressure on Israel to alleviate the burden of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Netanyahu spoke to Republicans via video link nearly a week after Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer delivered a speech in the Senate in which he strongly criticized Netanyahu, calling him an obstacle to peace, and urging new elections in Israel.

The Israeli Prime Minister said that he will continue the war on the Gaza Strip, stressing that the entry of the Israeli army into the city of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip to eliminate the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) will take place, but it will take time.

Netanyahu added that it is no secret that there are differences with President Biden's administration in this regard, stressing that Israel will do what suits its security despite these differences.

Source: Axios + Al Jazeera + agencies