Normally, a visit to Congress from the leader of a key U.S. ally in wartime wouldn’t be controversial. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t a normal world leader. And his scheduled July 24 speech to a joint session of Congress has the potential to be uniquely divisive.

It comes amid increased global pressure on Israel, seeking to finish its military campaign against Hamas, the terrorist group that murdered about 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023, while also committing rape and kidnapping, with an estimated more than 130 people still being held hostage eight months later.