Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., center, at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.
Samuel Corum | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Elon Musk made a surprise appearance in Washington Wednesday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s address to Congress, attending the event as Netanyahu’s guest.
Musk sat in Netanyahu’s private box in the visitors gallery above the House floor, alongside Netanyahu’s wife Sara, several Israeli soldiers and at least one former hostage of Hamas.
The Tesla Motors CEO’s visit to Capitol Hill came a day after he announced on X that his satellite internet company Starlink had been activated in a Gaza hospital, with the support of Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
Nine months into the Israel-Hamas war and the resulting humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Netanyahu’s speech has become a lightning rod of controversy, triggering an eruption of protests in Washington.
Shortly before Netanyahu was scheduled to begin speaking, U.S. Capitol Police announced they were “deploying pepper spray” against protesters who had “started to become violent” close to the Capitol.
Netanyahu scolded the protesters in his speech, calling them “Iran’s useful idiots.”
“These protesters chant from river to the sea, but many don’t have a clue what river and what sea they’re talking about.” Netanyahu said.
More than 30 members of Congress did not attend Netanyahu‘s address, many of them skipping the event in protest of the Israeli prime minister’s approach to the Israel-Hamas war.
One of Netanyahu’s most vocal opponents in Congress, however, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., did attend the speech. At several points, Tlaib held up a sign that read “War Criminal.” The clear breach of House decorum reflects the deep and painful divisions in Congress over the prime minister’s leadership.
Pro-Palestine supporters gather outside of the U.S. Capitol to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the United States Congress in Washington, DC on July 24, 2024.
Nathan Posner | Anadolu | Getty Images
Despite the absences, the prime minister entered a crowded House floor to loud applause and cheering, shaking hands with various lawmakers on his way to the podium.
“America and Israel must stand together because when we stand together something very simple happens. We win, they lose,” Netanyahu said at the opening of his remarks.
The Prime Minister expressed gratitude to President Joe Biden “for his heartfelt support for Israel.”
“President Biden and I have known each other for over 40 years,” Netanyahu said. “I want to thank him for half a century of friendship to Israel.”
Biden and Netanyahu are scheduled to meet at the White House on Thursday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress in the chamber of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on July 24, 2024 in Washington, DC.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris did not attend Netanyahu’s speech, a conspicuous departure from tradition. The White House attributed her absence to the demands of travel. Harris will have a separate meeting with Netanyahu on Thursday.
Typically, the vice president presides over joint congressional sessions, but Harris is traveling Wednesday, as the newly minted Democratic front-runner for the party’s presidential nomination.
U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris arrives at Indianapolis International Airport in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. on July 24, 2024. Harris is travelling to Indianapolis, Indiana, to deliver the keynote speech at Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.’s Grand Boule event.
Brendan Smialowski | Via Reuters
Former President Donald Trump‘s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, also skipped the speech due to his “duties to fulfill as the Republican nominee for Vice President,” a Trump campaign official told NBC News.
In the vice president’s absence, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., would usually take her place as the president pro tempore of the Senate, but she did not attend Netanyahu’s address for ideological reasons, according to NBC News.
Instead, Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Ben Cardin, D-Md., presided over Netanyahu’s joint address.
“The United States relationship with the State of Israel transcends politics and partisanship,” Cardin said in a statement to NBC News. “It transcends any one Israeli government or any one U.S. administration.”
Though Harris attributed her Wednesday absence to travel, many of the at least 30 lawmakers said they skipped the speech to boycott Netanyahu. Several, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said they would instead meet with families of hostages held by Hamas or attend a panel on Middle East peace and security.
“Netanyahu should not be welcomed into the United States Congress. On the contrary, his policies in Gaza and the West Bank and his refusal to support a two-state solution should be roundly condemned,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., among the loudest critics of Netanyahu as the war carries on.
Wednesday’s speech was Netanyahu’s fourth address to Congress, the last of which took place in March 2015.
While the Prime Minister is on Capitol Hill, he will meet with the top four congressional lawmakers: House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
