Netanyahu is scheduled to deliver a joint address to parliament at around 2 p.m. EDT on Wednesday.
The speech is likely to draw intense scrutiny from Democrats, who expect Netanyahu to make the case for ending the war in Gaza and bringing home the hostages, about 120 of whom are still being held by Hamas.
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) said Israeli leaders “put their own political survival above the release of the hostages” and caused widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip, where more than 38,000 Palestinians have died in the nearly 10-month war.
“He should not be addressing Congress,” Merkley said in a statement.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Netanyahu’s most vocal critic, called for a boycott of the speech.
“Netanyahu should not be allowed into the U.S. Congress,” he said in a statement this week.
It is unclear how many Democrats will boycott the speech, but most of the roughly 100 progressive members of Congress are expected to protest the speech in some way.
The last time Netanyahu spoke to Congress, about 60 Democratic lawmakers boycotted the speech, concerned about his opposition to then-President Obama’s Iran nuclear deal.
After stepping down over the weekend, President Biden endorsed Vice President Harris as the Democratic candidate for the 2024 presidential election, but she is not scheduled to attend Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech.
Harris already has events scheduled, but aides said she will meet with Netanyahu separately from Biden this week.
Netanyahu’s speech is expected to come as the Biden administration signals an agreement on a ceasefire and hostage release is close.
Biden’s plan includes first releasing vulnerable hostages, withdrawing Israeli troops from densely populated areas of Gaza and maintaining a ceasefire as long as negotiations continue to end the war and bring the last hostages home.
But Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) said Netanyahu remains “an obstacle to the peace that both Israelis and Palestinians deserve.”
“It is clear that the party leadership has given the prime minister this platform in an attempt to stoke divisions amongst lawmakers at this volatile time,” he said in a statement.
