Netanyahu says he is “thrilled” to be invited to address US Congress

“Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday he was "thrilled" to have been invited to address the US Congress.

"I am thrilled by the privilege to represent Israel before both houses of Congress and to present the truth about our just war against those who are looking to take our lives," Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office.

Democratic and Republican leaders of the US Senate and House of Representatives invited Netanyahu to address a joint meeting of Congress.

Despite the occupation’s aggression against Gaza, the bipartisan invitation, signed by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, aims “to build on [their] enduring relationship and to highlight America's solidarity with Israel” as per the letter.

Addressing joint meetings of Congress by foreign leaders is a rare honor typically reserved for the closest US allies or significant global figures. If Netanyahu accepts the invitation, he will become the first foreign leader to address Congress four times, surpassing the record held by Britain's wartime prime minister, Winston Churchill.