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A letter signed by a bipartisan group of congressional staff members is calling for a protest or boycott of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming speech on Capitol Hill.

The letter, organized by the Congressional Progressive Staff Association and endorsed by 230 anonymous staff, calls on lawmakers to speak out against Netanyahu. They argue that doing so is an “issue of morality, ” not politics. The letter adds, “Citizens, students, and lawmakers across the country and the world have spoken out against the actions of Mr. Netanyahu in his War on Gaza. Israelis have been protesting in the streets for months, decrying his failure to negotiate a ceasefire and release of hostages. We hope you will join your fellow Members of Congress in protest at his speech or in refusing to attend it.”

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This development comes as multiple Democratic lawmakers have vowed to protest Netanyahu’s speech. Among them, Senator Bernie Sanders, a strong critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, has labeled Netanyahu a “war criminal.”

Despite the pushback, Netanyahu received an invitation to address Congress from leaders on both sides of the political aisle. This will mark his second speech to Congress, following his previous address in 2015.

While in Washington, Netanyahu is also set to meet with President Biden despite his recent COVID diagnosis. In a statement, National Security Coordinator John Kirby said, “We have every expectation that the two leaders will have a chance to see each other when Prime Minister Netanyahu is in town. I can’t tell you at this point… what that exactly is going to look like. But as we get closer certainly be able to provide you some more.”

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