Speaker Johnson, Netanyahu trade items throughout Capitol go to

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu exchanged items in the course of the longtime Israeli chief’s go to to Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

Netanyahu came to Washington to ship an deal with to a joint assembly of Congress — his fourth since 1996 — a controversial speech that divided Democrats and infected political tensions, regardless of the prime minister’s name for unity behind Israel amid its battle towards Hamas.

However earlier than his roughly 50 minutes of remarks, the 2 traded items, a customary custom when overseas leaders go to D.C.

Johnson gave Netanyahu a group of paperwork and letters from the Nationwide Archives that the prime minister has by no means seen, the Speaker’s workplace advised The Hill. That bundle included a letter from Netanyahu’s father — Benzion Netanyahu, a historian who labored to drum up help for the creation of the Jewish state within the U.S. — to former President Dwight Eisenhower.

Johnson additionally offered the prime minister with a condolence letter the White Home ready however by no means despatched after one among Netanyahu’s brothers handed away, and the notecards former President Gerald Ford used and wrote on when he acquired an award honoring Netanyahu’s brother, Yonatan Netanyahu, who was a commander of the Sayeret Matkal, one among Israel’s commando models.

Netanyahu, in the meantime, gifted Johnson a sculpture of a dove flying over Israel manufactured from shrapnel gathered from the Oct. 7 assaults by Hamas on Israel, the Speaker’s workplace stated.

Netanyahu’s speech before Congress — which ran for roughly 50 minutes — sparked controversy within the Capitol, with Republicans and staunchly pro-Israel Democrats lauding the remarks, and pro-Palestinian liberals decrying the controversial chief’s remarks.

The fractures are emblematic of the tensions in Washington over the battle in Gaza, which started after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.

Netanyahu’s deal with mentioned the small print of the lethal offensive, whereas additionally criticizing the anti-Israel protests that have broken out all through the nation, issuing warnings concerning the menace posed by Iran, and urging unity within the U.S. behind Israel.

Netanyahu on Wednesday thanked Johnson and different congressional leaders for inviting him to talk earlier than Congress, underscoring the significance of the U.S.-Israel friendship.

“Nearly 2,000 years in the past, the Romans breached the partitions of Jerusalem, on this present day, virtually 2,000 years in the past. Properly, our enemies won’t breach our partitions right now,” Netanyahu, alongside Johnson, advised reporters forward of his speech. “And our wall shouldn’t be made up solely of our personal troopers, our courageous heroes, but in addition the friendship and alliance with the good United States of America.”

“That could be very a lot expressed right here right now, and I thanks for giving me this chance, and the folks of Israel thanks for giving us this chance to specific our widespread alliance,” he added.

Johnson echoed that sentiment, saying that “Individuals should stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel in its nice wrestle.”