(SACRAMENTO, CA – 7/25/2024) – The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) today welcomed the decision by 17 California congressional members who refused to attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent address to a joint meeting of Congress.
SEE: Group of Democratic lawmakers skip Netanyahu’s address in Congress
On Wednesday, July 24, Netanyahu spoke in front of Congress after being invited by House and Senate leaders. The decision to host Netanyahu has been widely criticized, particularly following the recent ruling from the International Court of Justice that deemed Israel’s settlements and discriminatory policies in the occupied Palestinian territories to be a violation of international law.
The International Criminal Court is also pursuing arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Israeli Foreign Minister Yoav Gallant for their war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the intentional starvation of civilians in Gaza as a tool of warfare and the denial of humanitarian aid.
At least 96 lawmakers reportedly skipped Netanyahu’s speech—nearly double that of Democrats who boycotted his address to Congress in 2015.
Seventeen California congressional members were among those who declined to attend, including Representatives Sara Jacobs (D-51), Barbara Lee (D-12), Judy Chu (D-28), John Garamendi (D-8), Ro Khanna (D-17), Mark DeSaulnier (D-10), Jared Huffman (D-2), Nancy Pelosi (D-11), Zoe Lofgren (D-18), Anna Eshoo (D-16), Doris Matsui (D-7), Ami Bera (D-6), Robert Garcia (D-42), Kevin Mullin (D-15), Mike Thompson (D-4), Nanette Barragán (D-44), and Mark Takano (D-39).
Representative Katie Porter (D-47) also did not attend Netanyahu’s address, but her absence was reportedly due to a prior commitment.
In a statement, CAIR-CA CEO Hussam Ayloush said:
“We appreciate the principled decision by California lawmakers who joined the nearly 100 House and Senate members who refused to participate in yesterday’s congressional address by war criminal Prime Minister Netanyahu. For nine months, the U.S. has been complicit in Israel’s genocide and ethnic cleansing in Palestine, but this boycott shows that there is a shift in the Democratic Party’s support for Netanyahu and the Israeli government. Netanyahu should have been arrested for his war crimes rather than celebrated and cheered on by our elected officials.
“Boycotting Netanyahu’s speech is not a decision that elected officials made overnight—it is the result of persistent advocacy from their constituents to uphold the values of justice and human rights and take a strong stance against Israel’s inhumane and genocidal actions against the Palestinian people.”
Many of the congressional members who chose not to attend Netanyahu’s address also publicly released statements criticizing his policies in Palestine and condemning Israel’s ongoing violent military campaign in Gaza.
Since Oct. 7, the Israeli government’s genocide in Gaza has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinian civilians, a majority of whom are women and children. Approximately 1.5 million people have been forcibly displaced and are facing a catastrophic humanitarian crisis as Israel continues to cut off food, water, electricity, and medicine to Gaza.
CAIR-CA is a chapter of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
– END –
CONTACT: CAIR-LA Digital Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, (714) 851-4851 or eelkadi@cair.com; CAIR-LA Communications Coordinator Madi Morse-Hameed, mmorse-hameed@cair.com
