Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) at an Event in Portland Last Year..
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) announced early this afternoon that she will not attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s joint address to Congress today and issued the following statement:
“The October 7 attack by Hamas terriorists were a heinous crime. Israel has a right to defend itself ad its people. However, Israel does not have a right to violate international law. I am horrified by the shockig loss of civilian life in Gaza, includig thousands of children and the ongoing famine conditions that threaten many more innocent lives. For months, I ‘ve joined dozens of my colleagues in calling for a permanent bilateral ceasefire.
“While I continue to support a strong US-Israeli relationship, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s failed leadership has pushed tensions to the brink long before the current conflict in Gaza. For years Netanyahu has associated a far-right coalition that actively undermines efforts to fund a two-state solution. In East Jerusalum and the West Bank, the Prime Minister has allowed extremists like Bezaiei Smotrich to expand illegal settlements, encourage settler violence and choke the Palestinian economy by blocking funds to the Palestinian Authority. And in recent months, Netanyahu’s leadership has enabled ultranationlists like Ilamer Ben-Givir, inflaming regional tensions with Arab states, setting back Israel’s who believe Netanyhu should resign over his inability to protect Israel and the disastrous policies that he has allowed to threaten Israel and American national security interests.
“The last time Netanyahu addressed Congress nearly a decade ago, I did not attend that either – he sought to undermine the multi-lateral nuclear deal with Iran negotiated by President Obama. Once again, Netanyahu is using the platform of the United States Congress for personal and political gain.”
“Prime Minister Netanyahu has slow-walked ceasefire annd hostage negotiations, bowed to extremists in his coalition who oppose a two-state solution, actively delayed humanitarian aid from reaching Palestinians, and created a worse security evironment for both of our countries. For these reasons, I am not attending Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address to Congress today.:
“Rather than support Netanyahu’s misuse of a Congressioal platform this morning, I was honored to join my colleagues in meeting with the families of innocent Israeli hostages. Their stories were heartbreakig and a reminder of where Netanyahu’s attetion should be instead of in Washington. We must keep the focus on freeing the remaining hostages, negotiating a bilateral peranent ceasefire and protecting the countless civilians affected by the terrible conflict.”