Washington, DC — Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today issued the following statement regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of Congress:

“In his address to a Joint Session of Congress, Prime Minister Netanyahu reminded Americans about the threats Iran and its proxies pose to Israel and the world. This threat is not new, and I remain determined to make certain Israel can defend itself from Iranian aggression.

“However, over the last 9 months, I have heard from suffering families of hostages and innocent Palestinians who are all victims of the terrible war started by Hamas, and I am deeply frustrated that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address to Congress offered little to explain what he will do to end the war and the suffering.

“The Prime Minister refuses to implement President Biden’s widely-accepted proposal that would lead to a ceasefire, bring the hostages home, and allow for a new surge of humanitarian assistance into Gaza. The Prime Minister did not outline a realistic plan for post-war Gaza, which I fear means that he intends to bend to the extreme right-wing voices in his coalition. And the Prime Minister has dismissed the two-state solution—the only option that will allow Israel to remain both Jewish and democratic in the long term

“I will continue to fight on behalf of the hostage families and innocent Palestinian civilians, work to continue integrating Israel into the region through normalization, and work to keep the dream of two states alive. There is no other choice."

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