As the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues in the wake of the Oct. 7 massacre, dozens of Democratic lawmakers have decided to skip Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's scheduled address to Congress on Wednesday.

As of this writing, nine Senate Democrats and more than 25 House Democrats have boycott It was Netanyahu's first address to parliament in nearly a decade, and some Democrats, such as Vice President-elect and presidential nominee Kamala Harris, have expressed their support. skip Some lawmakers are canceling the speech due to scheduling conflicts, while others, like Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, are opposed to the speech because of Netanyahu's handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict. call He is a “war criminal” who is “committing genocide” against Palestinians. (Related: 'Increasingly violent': Lawmakers fear pro-Palestinian protesters will storm Parliament to hear Netanyahu speak)

“It is an utter disgrace that leaders of both parties invited him to speak in Congress,” Tlaib said in a press release on Tuesday. “He should be arrested and sent to the International Criminal Court.”

Tlaib has not yet publicly stated whether she will attend the speech, despite being a vocal critic of Netanyahu, but some of her fellow lawmakers, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY), Jamaal Bowman (NY), Ilhan Omar (MN), and Cori Bush (MN), have publicly announced they will boycott the speech. (Related: After 2020 feud, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quietly works to garner Trump support ahead of presidential election)

“It is a dark day in American history when a dictator with a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court is allowed to address a joint session of Congress,” Ocasio-Cortez said. Said In a post on Tuesday, X wrote: “40,000 Palestinians dead. Hostages not coming home. Netanyahu is a war criminal. I will be boycotting this address.”

“By awarding the joint speech to Prime Minister Netanyahu, Congress is not only continuing to endorse genocide, but actively glorifying the man at the forefront of that genocide,” Bush said. Said “I urge my colleagues to boycott this war criminal and join us in the fight for a just and lasting peace that protects the right to self-determination of Palestinians and Israelis alike,” he said in a post on Tuesday. (Related article: UCLA students sued for allowing 'Jew-free zone' at violent pro-Palestinian encampment)

In the Senate, prominent Democrats including Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Dick Durbin of Illinois have also publicly stated they will boycott Netanyahu's speech.

'Netanyahu should not be allowed into Congress,' says Sanders Said “On the contrary, his policies in Gaza and the West Bank and his refusal to support a two-state solution should be condemned in their entirety. In my view, his right-wing extremist government should not receive any further support from US taxpayers to continue its inhumane destruction of Gaza,” X wrote in a post on Monday.

In 2015, 58 members of the parliament skip Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech to parliament.

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