Rep. Paul Tonko of New York's 20th Congressional District is the latest New York politician to say he will not attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress today.
"I am more than ready to have meaningful discussions about how to end the violence & bring lasting peace to the region," Tonko posted Wednesday morning on social media. "But—through his words & actions—Prime Minister Netanyahu has made clear he has no intention to do that with his address. For that reason, I will not attend."
The long-anticipated address has stirred controversy for months among congressional Democrats, including New York's delegation. To date, Tonko, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) and Nydia Velazquez (NY-7) have stated that they will not attend Netanyahu's address.
The Democratic boycotts are highlighting how Netanyahu's hard-line government’s conduct of the devastating war in Gaza is opening fissures in longstanding American support for his country.
Many Democrats still plan to attend the address despite their criticism of Netanyahu, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who called for new elections in Israel in a March floor speech. Schumer said then that Netanyahu has “lost his way” and is an obstacle to peace in the region amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In a statement Wednesday, Schumer said "Even though I disagree with many of Bibi Netanyahu’s policies, I will attend the speech because the United States’ relationship with Israel remains ironclad and transcends any prime minister or president. And we must do all we can to get our hostages home."