The four party leaders in the House and Senate asked Netanyahu to speak before a joint meeting of Congress at a date yet to be arranged, although US media reported that it is expected to take place just before or soon after the August recess.
“We join the state of Israel in your struggle against terror, especially as Hamas continues to hold American and Israeli citizens captive and its leaders jeopardise regional stability,” said the letter, which Johnson made public.
“For this reason, on behalf of the bipartisan leadership of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, we would like to invite you to address a Joint Meeting of Congress.”
A visit from Netanyahu could be an awkward affair for Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who called in March for Israel to hold new elections in a rare example of strident criticism from a senior American official of Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza.
The rebuke from Schumer, the highest-ranking elected Jewish American in history, came amid increased pressure from President Joe Biden over the mounting death toll in the conflict, sparked by the Oct 7 attacks by Hamas.
In a sign of the worsening ties between Washington and the Netanyahu government, Schumer said the Israeli leader was one of four “major obstacles” to peace, alongside Hamas, Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, and radical right-wing Israelis.
Although Schumer signed the invitation, a visit by Netanyahu would not be welcomed by figures on the left of the Democratic Party who have condemned the right-wing leader over his handling of the military response.
Hostilities began when Hamas attacked Israel, resulting in about 1,189 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official figures.
More than 36,280 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the war broke out, according to data provided by the health ministry of Hamas-run Gaza.
According to the Israeli military, 294 soldiers have been killed in the military campaign since the start of the ground offensive on Oct 27.
“The existential challenges we face, including the growing partnership between Iran, Russia, and China, threaten the security, peace, and prosperity of our countries and of free people around the world,” the leaders wrote to Netanyahu.
“To build on our enduring relationship and to highlight America’s solidarity with Israel, we invite you to share the Israeli government’s vision for defending democracy, combatting terror, and establishing a just and lasting peace in the region.”