Israeli Prime Minister visiting DC, sparking protests

WASHINGTON — Roads are closed and protests are planned as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to Washington, D.C. to meet with the president and address Congress.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to arrive in D.C. on Monday and speak to Congress on Wednesday.

Before boarding the plane early Monday morning, he shared a short video on X (formerly Twitter) with remarks about his goals for the visit.

He said, "I'm leaving this morning on a very important trip to the United States at a time when Israel is fighting on seven fronts and where there is great political uncertainty in Washington. I will address for the fourth time both houses of Congress as the Prime Minister of Israel. I will seek to anchor the bipartisan support that is so important for Israel, and I will tell my friends on both sides of the aisle that regardless who the American people choose as their next president, Israel remains America's indispensable and strong ally in the Middle East. I plan to see President Biden, whom I've known for over 40 years, this will be an opportunity to thank him for the things he did for Israel during the war and during his long and distinguished career in public service as Senator, Vice President, and as President. It will also be an opportunity to discuss with him how to advance in the critical months ahead the goals that are important for both our countries—achieving the release of all our hostages, defeating Hamas, confronting the terror axis of Iran and its properties, and ensuring all of our citizens return safely to their home in the north and south. In this time of war and uncertainty, it's important that Israel's enemies know that America and Israel stand together today, tomorrow, and always."

Currently, Israel, the United States, Hamas, and other stakeholders are in talks of a ceasefire, which would secure the release of 100 Israeli hostages.

It's a move that swaths of people from college students to celebrities have been pushing for for months -- as the death toll in Gaza continues to rise.

Netanyahu has been pushing for harder demands against Hamas in these negotiations, so it is unclear where the talks stand.

At first, President Biden expressed support for Israel, but over the last few months, he has criticized some of Netanyahu's moves. 

In May, he paused shipments of bombs to Israel over concerns of them being used in highly populous areas.

Since the conflict started, thousands of voters have said that President Biden lost their vote over his actions related to the war.

Now that President Biden has ended his reelection bid, the future of the United States' support for Israel as well as voters' support for the Democratic presidential candidate remains uncertain.

There are at least two protests planned for this week.

The ANSWER Coalition is holding one of them outside of the Capitol Wednesday. They're calling for a "citizen's arrest" of Netanyahu as they condemn genocide.

The Socialist Equality Party is holding another one on the National Mall from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday to protest Netanyahu's appearance.