Two of the strongest criticisms of Benjamin Netanyahu, who drew the ire of many Democratic members and was boycotted by approximately 50 members of Congress due to his speech in the US Congress, came from Senator Sanders and former House Speaker Pelosi.
Criticism of Senator Sanders
Senator Sanders, who is of Jewish origin and has criticized the Israeli government, protested Netanyahu’s speech in a broadcast on the American MSNBC channel. Describing Netanyahu as a war criminal, Sanders said, “He absolutely should not have been invited to Congress.” Drawing attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Sanders criticized Netanyahu’s right-wing extremist policies.
Criticism of Former Speaker Pelosi
Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who previously served as Speaker of the House of Representatives, described Netanyahu’s speech to Congress as “the worst speech ever.” Pelosi said Netanyahu should focus on the peace process and criticized members of Congress.
Reactions from Other Democratic Members of Congress
- Rashida Tlaib: Tlaib, the only Palestinian representative in the US Congress, voiced her reaction by criticizing the applause for Netanyahu. Holding a sign that said “war criminal” throughout the speech, Tlaib took a clear stance against Netanyahu.
- Cori Bush: Another Democratic congresswoman, Bush voiced her anger at Netanyahu’s speech and criticized the US government. Bush said the US was complicit in every step of the genocide.
