Rep. Omar’s Statement on Benjamin Netanyahu’s Address to Congress

WASHINGTON–Today, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) released the following statement on Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress:

“I will not be attending Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress.

“It is utterly immoral and cruel to the millions of lives impacted by his catastrophic actions to platform him, let alone give him the honor of addressing Congress. He is a war criminal who is actively committing genocide against the Palestinian people while putting the lives of the hostages and the stability of the region in jeopardy. I fully agree with the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice that he should be held accountable for his crimes, not addressing Congress.

“Benjamin Netanyahu and his government are now responsible for the murder of over 38,000 Palestinians and injuring over 88,000. From deliberately withholding food, water, and medicine from innocent civilians to bombing refugee camps and schools–Netanyahu has created one of the worst humanitarian disasters in modern history.

“We should be standing unequivocally and consistently on the side of human rights—today’s joint address runs counter to this. Netanyahu has actively sabotaged hostage deals, which is why my ticket will be going to a family member of an Israeli hostage.

“Not only is this address shameful, it damages our standing at home and abroad. For those reasons, I reiterate my, and millions of Americans, calls to stop using our tax dollars to fund a genocide on our watch.”