Speaker Johnson threatens to arrest lawmakers who disrupt Netanyahu’s speech

House Speaker Mike Johnson assured a pro-Israel crowd that if Democratic lawmakers get out of hand when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses Congress on Wednesday, he will arrest them.  

Mr. Johnson’s threat to lock up Democrats came during remarks at a Republican Jewish Coalition event at the Republican National Convention on Thursday, less than a week before Mr. Netanyahu speaks before both chambers of Congress.

“I want you to know that there’s a number of Democrats in the House who have said they’re going to boycott the event … and then some others are going to protest,” Mr. Johnson said. 

“Listen, we’re going to have extra sergeants-at-arms on the floor, and if anybody gets out of hand, the speaker of the House will bang the gavel; we’re going to arrest people if we have to do it,” he continued. “We’re going to get the message out.”

Mr. Johnson, Louisiana Republican, also ripped Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, for dragging his feet to sign off on the joint invitation to Mr. Netanyahu. 

Mr. Schumer plans to attend but hasn’t been shy in his public criticism of the leader of the Jewish state. In March, he called on Israel to hold new elections to replace Mr. Netanyahu and his government.

Mr. Netanyahu last addressed Congress a decade ago. Nearly 60 Democrats skipped his speech at the time because they felt his presence in Washington ran afoul of then-President Barack Obama’s negotiations with Iran to forge a nuclear deal. 

The Democrats expect a much greater number of absences this time. 

Those who vowed to boycott Mr. Netanyahu’s address cited issues with his handling of the war in Gaza following the Hamas raid into Israel on Oct. 7 that left nearly 1,200 Israelis dead. 

Earlier this week, 230 anonymous congressional staffers across 122 Republican and Democratic offices called on lawmakers to boycott or protest Mr. Netanyahu’s speech and argued that his appearance is an “issue of morality.”

Since then, Mr. Netanyahu and his government have been criticized for the civilian death toll amid his pursuit to obliterate Hamas. As of early July, nearly 38,000 Palestinians have been killed, and 87,000 have been injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. 

Among the lawmakers boycotting the speech are Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Washington Democrat and chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Sen. Bernard Sanders, Vermont independent. 

“I will not be going to listen to Mr. Netanyahu,” Mr. Sanders told  MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Friday. “I think he’s a war criminal. I think he never should have been invited.”