Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi won’t be attending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech today, a spokesperson said.
“Speaker Pelosi will not be attending today’s Joint Meeting of Congress,” said spokesperson Ian Krager. “This morning, she will join a Members meeting with Israeli citizens whose families have suffered in the wake of the October 7th Hamas terror attack and kidnappings.”
In follow-up comments to POLITICO, Pelosi said it was “inappropriate” for Netanyahu to be invited.
“That’s why we spent our time listening to the hostages families about how a ceasefire and a hostage deal are necessary,” she said. “We hope he would spend his time doing that.”
Asked if she thought Netanyahu was ready to make a deal, she replied: “I have no sense of Netanyahu’s interest in peace.”
Pelosi is the latest Democratic lawmaker to pass on attending the joint address as dozens say they’ll skip the speech or attend counterprogramming. Her move irked some pro-Israel Democrats who saw her move as giving cover for more in the party to pass on the speech.
