Republican US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson has indicated that he will soon invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the United States.
Johnson attended a reception held by the Israeli embassy in Washington on Thursday. During the keynote speech, he said, "We will soon be hosting Prime Minister Netanyahu at the Capitol for a joint session of Congress."
Johnson did not specify a date, but he stressed that the invitation will be "a very strong show of support to the Israeli government" in its time of greatest need.
He apparently wants to demonstrate solidarity with Israel. But Johnson's speech is likely to fuel debate, as Americans are divided over Israel's policies.
The number of civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip has been growing amid Israel's ongoing military operation against Hamas.