Washington — Congressional leaders are meeting Tuesday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after some lawmakers accused the Israeli leader of trying to drag the U.S. into another war.
Netanyahu met with House Speaker Mike Johnson after meeting earlier in the day with Vice President JD Vance. Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, postponed a trip to Israel in June to address the Israeli parliament, known as the Knesset, as war broke out with Iran.
In a statement, Johnson said he and Netanyahu discussed the United States’ commitment to Israel’s security and a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
“America and Israel’s strong stand in the 12-Day War dealt a devastating blow to the greatest enemy of peace in the region, leaving the Iranian regime weaker than at any point in decades. We are hopeful that this marks the dawn of a new chapter of peace in the Middle East,” Johnson said.
Netanyahu’s visit to the U.S. Capitol comes as Mr. Trump faces criticism from Democrats and some Republicans over his decision to strike three locations central to Iran’s nuclear program last month.
Lawmakers introduced several measures in the Senate and House seeking to restrict Mr. Trump from taking further action against Iran without approval. The Senate voted down a war powers resolution introduced by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, while the other measures have yet to receive a vote.
Netanyahu met with administration officials Monday and had dinner at the White House with the president. Speaking to reporters Monday, Mr. Trump expressed confidence that there will be a ceasefire with Hamas soon. And on U.S.-Iran talks, he forecasted that more details would come out Tuesday.
Following his meeting with Johnson on Tuesday afternoon, Netanyahu told reporters that the “resolute decision of president Trump to act with us against those who seek to destroy Israel and threaten the peace of the world has made a remarkable change in the Middle East.”
“There are opportunities for peace that we intend to realize,” Netanyahu added. “We’re working together on this. We have still to finish the job in Gaza, release all our hostages, eliminate and destroy Hamas’ military and governance capabilities because Gaza must have a different future for ours sake, for everyone’s sake.”
Netanyahu said the coordination between the U.S. and Mr. Trump has been “unmatched.” The president and prime minister are expected to meet again later in the day.
JIM WATSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images 
The meetings come after Johnson postponed a planned trip to Israel last month, where he was scheduled to address Israel’s parliament in Jerusalem, amid open warfare between Israel and Iran. It would have been one of a small number of foreign trips he’s made since becoming speaker. Johnson met with Netanyahu in Washington in February. During that visit, Netanyahu also met with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and a bipartisan group of senators.
The Israeli prime minister addressed a joint meeting of Congress nearly a year ago as he sought to shore up support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, while criticizing those who had protested against the conflict.