07/23/2024 --axios
Weeks of political upheaval punctuated by President Biden's explosive decision not to seek re-election have placed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress far back in many Democrats' minds.Why it matters: Some lawmakers believe this dynamic has reduced the potency of the speech as a way for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to expose and inflame Democrats' divisions on Israel."That speech is not as important right now, and for some of us, we were saying we will not make it important ... and this helps," said Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.)."Honestly, I think some members almost forgot that it was happening," said one senior House Democrat.Driving the news: Netanyahu is slated to address Congress on Wednesday afternoon in a speech he hopes will reassert his leadership in the U.S. and in Israel, Axios Barak Ravid reports.The speech has been giving Democrats – who have long been bitterly divided over Israel, particularly since Oct. 7 — heartburn since it was first floated in March.But Democrats have spent the past three weeks dealing with the fallout from the first presidential debate, in which the 81-year-old Biden's disastrous performance created irrevocable doubts about his candidacy.What they're saying: More than a dozen House Democrats with a variety of views on Israel described a dynamic in which the speech is drawing much less attention from their party than in months past."Think of all the consequential things that are moving right now, suddenly Netanyahu coming here seems like an afterthought. There's no question," said Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.).Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) pointed to the "9/11 of media cycles" around Democrats' internal struggles since the debate, saying it has "been one emergency after the next.""[After] last week, which was the equivalent of a decade, nobody is talking about it in the same way that we were before," said Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas)."I think having one of the most dramatic developments in modern politics over the last few days certainly is taking up a lot of mental space for people," said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).Between the lines: Some Democrats also argued the drawdown of fighting in Gaza is making Israel a lower salience issue for members and constituents."I had 17 pieces of mail about [the speech], 16 said boycott it – but that's a small amount," said one House Democrat who plans to attend the speech."I think part of the reason why it has also been less on the minds of a lot of people is because ... there is much much less violence in Gaza," said Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.).Yes, but: A handful of top lawmakers predicted that, with the party coalescing around Vice President Kamala Harris and the speech drawing closer, Democrats' old Israel headache could rear its head one again.The speech had taken a back seat for members "until now," one senior House Democrat said, but "it won't on Wednesday."Another senior House Democrat said "today's Monday and the speech is Wednesday, so I think it will quickly turn."What to watch: The speech is poised to be subject to a large-scale boycott from many Democratic lawmakers, as well as protests and other counter-programming.In addition to a J Street event with Israeli hostage families before the speech, some members are holding an event during Netanyahu's speech with Israeli peace activists, according to two lawmakers.One House Democrat said they expect anywhere from 50 to 100 Democrats to potentially sit out the speech.Zoom in: Some lawmakers are also concerned about security, with pro-Palestinian groups promising to converge tens of thousands of protesters on Capitol Hill and law enforcement boosting security as a result.Ocasio-Cortez said she is not attending the speech and that her team is "looking at the threat assessment" to determine whether she will even be on Capitol Hill on Wednesday."I, and I think every other Jewish person in America has increased security concerns because ... the actions of these protesters have become more and more violent," said Goldman.
