| | | | |  | | By Matt Berg and Miles J. Herszenhorn | |  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address Congress Wednesday afternoon, a monumental event that would normally take up the political oxygen in Washington in the weeks leading up. | Pool photo by Abir Sultan | With help from Joe Gould, Erin Banco, Maggie Miller, Eric Bazail-Eimil and Daniel Lippman Subscribe here | Email Matt | Email Eric Almost nothing seems to be going as Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU planned today, his first full day in Washington this week. Netanyahu will address Congress Wednesday afternoon, a monumental event that would normally take up the political oxygen in Washington in the weeks leading up. An appearance by a controversial far-right leader, widely chastised internationally for his handling of Israel’s devastating war against Hamas militants in Gaza, has all the ingredients ripe for attention. But it appears Netanyahu has had very little to do in Washington today. Some aides on both sides of the aisle needed to be reminded that the leader was even in town. “I had someone ask me what I thought Netanyahu would say in his speech and I had to stop and think for a minute to realize that was this week. I had completely forgotten it was happening,” a senior House aide told NatSec Daily. Because of the mind-boggling news cycle — one U.S. presidential candidate was almost killed while another dropped out of the race a week later, in case you had forgotten — Netanyahu “hasn’t really been able to get the traction and the airtime they would have expected,” another House aide added. A third aide in the Senate underscored the impact the news cycle has had, telling NatSecDaily that Netanyahu’s visit is “barely registering” on the Hill. All were granted anonymity to speak candidly. On Capitol Hill, Democratic lawmakers weighed whether or not to attend the address, while Republicans brainstormed how they’d show support for the embattled leader. Sen. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-Md.), a staunch critic of the Biden administration’s Israel policies, said today that he won’t attend the address. “I refuse to be a political prop in this act of deception because he's not the great guardian of the U.S.-Israel relationship,” Van Hollen told a small group of reporters in his office, days after returning from a trip to the Middle East. President JOE BIDEN will meet Netanyahu on Thursday, the prime minister’s office said, after Biden postponed his meeting scheduled for today. It’s unclear when Vice President KAMALA HARRIS — who isn’t attending Netanyahu’s address — will meet with him. Netanyahu will meet with DONALD TRUMP in Florida on Friday, the former president said on Truth Social today. As of this morning, Netanyahu didn’t have plans to meet with key foreign policy lawmakers: Rep. GREGORY MEEKS, the House Foreign Affairs Committee's top Democrat, said he is open to a meeting with him. The office of the panel’s chair, Rep. MICHAEL McCAUL (R-Texas), said he would be part of a group of lawmakers welcoming the prime minister and meeting with him afterward but wasn’t currently aware of other separate meetings. As if that weren’t enough, families of the American hostages being held in Gaza are putting immense pressure on the prime minister to secure a cease-fire deal with Hamas militants and bring home the hostages by the end of the week. If he doesn’t succeed, they said in a joint statement, it would “constitute an abject failure of his trip.” LIZ NAFTALI — the great aunt of ABIGAIL EDAN, who was one of the Americans released during the pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas — told Netanyahu during an hour-and-a-half-long meeting on Monday that he must call for a deal during his address. “This is the time to make this deal,” she told NatSec Daily in between meetings with numerous lawmakers on the Hill. “If we do not capture this moment, these hostages may not come home.” Scroll down to Inbox and On The Hill for more on the tense start to Netanyahu’s week. Read: Here are the world leaders Harris has on speed dial by our own ERIC BAZAIL-EIMIL
| | | | Live briefings, policy trackers, and procedural, industry, and people intelligence from POLITICO Pro Analysis gives you the insights you need to focus your policy strategy this election cycle. Secure your seat. | | | | | | | | LOCKED DOWN D.C.: Two rings of massive fences put up overnight. Drones buzzing overhead. Mass redirection of traffic. Multiple security checkpoints and closed roads. All of this is what Washington, D.C. residents face this week while Netanyahu stays in town at the Watergate Hotel, writes our own MAGGIE MILLER, who was stuck in traffic around the hotel this morning. The heightened security protocols are similar to the set up in downtown Washington during the NATO summit earlier this month, where heads of state from every NATO country were present and traffic snaked on for days. According to posts on X, pro-Palestinian protestors gathered outside the Watergate complex on Tuesday calling for Netanyahu’s arrest. The prime minister’s visit is also likely to cause complications for residents of the Watergate complex. If you’re at the Watergate, let us know how it’s affecting your day! BIDEN’S ADDRESS: The White House announced today that Biden will address the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday evening about his historic decision not to seek a second term, our own ELI STOKOLS reports. His remarks at 8 p.m. Eastern Time will come one week after Biden was forced off the campaign trail in Las Vegas after testing positive for Covid, and three days after his stunning announcement posted to X that he was stepping aside as the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee. KYIV KA-CHING: The EU and U.S. are close to an agreement to equally divide contributions toward a $50 billion loan to Ukraine between them, two officials told our own GREGORIO SORGI. Brussels and Washington would each provide $20 billion to Kyiv, according to an outline agreement that will be discussed at a meeting of G7 finance ministers in Brazil on Wednesday. The U.K., Japan and Canada would make up the rest of the loan. Reaching a deal would pave the way for the Western alliance to give the loan to Ukraine before a self-imposed end-of-year deadline. Governments have previously said that the loan could be used for several purposes including defense or humanitarian needs. ISRAELI MONEY TO WEST BANK: Israel has budgeted millions of dollars for the protection of small, unauthorized Jewish farms in the occupied West Bank, The Associated Press’ MELANIE LIDMAN reports. The pro-settler Israeli government has been “underwriting tiny outposts meant to grow into full-fledged settlements,” the outlet writes, citing documents uncovered by anti-settlement monitoring group Peace Now. Some of the outposts — which are separate from dozens of recognized Israeli settlements — are sanctioned by the U.S. and linked to violence against Palestinians. About $20.5 million was budgeted last year for security equipment in the “young settlements,” the term Israeli’s government uses for the unauthorized farms and outposts in the West Bank. The funds were authorized in December, when the world’s attention was focused more on Israel’s war in Gaza. BEIJING THE BROKER: China mediated a joint statement between leaders of two Palestinian factions today, a sign of Beijing’s push to be seen as a major deal broker on the world stage, The Washington Post’s CHRISTIAN SHEPHERD, STEVE HENDRIX and NIHA MASIH report. Top Fatah and Hamas officials signed an agreement aimed at easing tensions between the long-standing rivals, though analysts believe it’s unlikely to fully heal the rift between the two groups. China appears to be the biggest winner, hailing it as the “Beijing Declaration” and bolstering the country’s sought-after reputation as a mediator. See: Russia’s war in Ukraine, and Saudi Arabia-Iran ties. The agreement today is a “historic moment for the cause of Palestine’s liberation” and underscores the “consensus around establishing an interim national reconciliation government to manage Gaza after the war,” Chinese Foreign Minister WANG YI said in a speech. IT’S TUESDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at mberg@politico.com and ebazail@politico.com, and follow us on X at @mattberg33 and @ebazaileimil. While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s national security team: @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco, @reporterjoe, @JGedeon1 and @mherszenhorn.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Lockheed Martin is Leading in Next-Gen Radar Technology
The U.S. Army’s new Sentinel A4 radar—a revolutionary leap from the legacy Sentinel A3—will counter cruise missiles, unmanned aerial systems, rotary wing and fixed wing threats, offering flexible mission performance and growth potential. Learn more. | | | | | KAMALA’S GROWING COALITION: Hundreds of Democratic foreign policy veterans threw their weight behind Harris in an open letter, The Washington Post’s MICHAEL BIRNBAUM reports. Some notable signatories included former Defense Secretary LEON PANETTA, former Secretaries of State JOHN KERRY and HILLARY CLINTON, and former national security advisers SUSAN RICE and THOMAS DONILON. “I have been in the room with Vice President Kamala Harris as she chaired major international summits and can personally attest to the strength of her diplomatic skills,” WENDY SHERMAN, who retired as deputy secretary of state last year and signed the letter, told the Post. Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN praised Harris as a “leading voice for American foreign policy” earlier today: “I’ve seen her command the room full of world leaders, not only across Europe but across the world,” he said. Today, Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY’s top adviser ANDRIY YERMAK spoke with Harris’ top national security aide PHIL GORDON, our own PAUL McLEARY reports (for Pros!). Read: Trump destabilized Canada in 2016. Trudeau doesn’t want it to happen again by our own ZI-ANN LUM ICYMI — Russia’s new punching bag: Kamala Harris by our own EVA HARTOG
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, our newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | | CHINA CAN’T ‘COMMAND THE INTERNET’: Lawmakers bashed Beijing today for increasing its online surveillance in recent years, vowing to counter the export of Chinese tech and supporting Chinese citizens protesting the government’s overreach. Under Chinese leader XI JINPING’s rule, the Chinese Communist Party “has put even more eyes on the street and online,” Rep. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI (D-Ill.), ranking member of the House Select Committee on China, said during a hearing today. “And it doesn’t intend to stop at China’s borders, either.” He continued: “We cannot allow the CCP to command the internet, which was designed to connect people, not to divide and control them.”
| | | STOP SENDING WEAPONS: Seven leading labor unions today called on the White House to stop sending military assistance to Israel amid the war against Hamas, our own NICK NIEDZWIADEK reports (for Pros!). “We believe that immediately cutting U.S. military aid to the Israeli government is necessary to bring about a peaceful resolution to this conflict,” the unions wrote in a letter. “Stopping US military aid to Israel is the quickest and most sure way to do so, it is what U.S. law demands, and it will show your commitment to securing a lasting peace in the region.” It’s yet another act of protest against Netanyahu as he visits Washington this week to address Congress, underscoring the widespread frustration with top lawmakers for inviting the far-right politician. The letter was signed by the Association of Flight Attendants, American Postal Workers Union, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, National Education Association, Service Employees International Union, United Auto Workers and United Electrical Workers. SAUDI WEAPONS SALE APPROVED: The State Department approved a $2.8 billion sale to Saudi Arabia for logistic support and services. “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf Region,” the department wrote in a press release.
| | | CHEATLE OUT: Secret Service Director KIMBERLY CHEATLE resigned today amid bipartisan condemnation of the agency’s failure to prevent the assassination attempt against Trump, BETSY WOODRUFF SWAN, KYLE CHENEY, JOSH GERSTEIN and JORDAIN CARNEY report. Cheatle’s decision to relent to growing calls for her resignation after a fiery House hearing on Monday, came just moments after Speaker MIKE JOHNSON and House Minority Leader HAKEEM JEFFRIES announced the formation of a bipartisan task force to investigate the assassination attempt. The task force, which will consist of seven Republicans and six Democrats, will seek to uncover how a 20-year-old gunman managed to have a clear line of sight at the former president during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. DEMS SNUB BIBI, MEET HOSTAGE FAMILIES: A group of congressional Democrats, including several who plan to boycott Netanyahu’s speech, plan to meet on Wednesday with families of Israeli hostages, our own JOE GOULD writes in. “The issue is some of us including myself are not going to attend the speech but want [it to be] understood that this is not about Israel, it’s not about the Israel people,” Rep. ROSA DELAURO, (D-Conn.), one of the lawmakers leading the effort, told Joe. “Every fiber of our bodies wants to get those hostages back.” Van Hollen told reporters he would meet the families instead of going to the speech. He said he doesn’t want to show support for Netanyahu when his hardline policies and partners like Finance Minister BEZALEL SMOTRICH and National Security Minister ITAMAR BEN-GVIR are “sabotaging” U.S.-Israeli relations. Netanyahu, who met with the families after arriving in the U.S. on Monday, is facing political pressure at home to finalize a deal for the release of the captives and a cease-fire with Hamas. Van Hollen said that in his previous meetings with the relatives in Israel, “they were extremely disappointed in the fact that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not prioritized returning hostages. While I was there, there were protests in the street saying, don’t go speak to a joint session of Congress, focus on releasing the hostages.” The House Foreign Affairs Committee hosted a roundtable with the families today after which McCaul condemned Harris and congressional Democrats over their plans to skip the speech, arguing the security situation Netanyahu will speak about impacts the U.S. “Case in point — the committee heard from the families of American hostages still being held by Hamas terrorists this morning,” he said in a statement. “We need to show the world our united determination to eradicate terrorism and bring home all of the hostages. I hope my colleagues will reconsider and attend this important address.”
| | | |   | | | | | ARCTIC FINGER POINTING: The Kremlin accused Washington of being confrontational after a report from the Pentagon expressed concern about Moscow’s deepening partnership with Beijing in the Arctic region, according to Reuters. Kremlin spokesperson DMITRY PESKOV, however, insisted that Russia “takes a responsible position and contributes to ensuring that the Arctic does not become a territory of discord and a territory of tension.” “Russian-Chinese cooperation is never directed against third countries or groups of third countries, but is aimed only at protecting the interests of [Russia and China]”, Peskov added. Washington sought to counter the Russia-China partnership in the Arctic during the NATO summit in Washington, announcing a trilateral agreement with Canada and Finland to produce new icebreaker ships to navigate waters in the Arctic.
| | — Sen. BOB MENENDEZ (D-N.J.) will resign from the Senate on Aug. 20 after his conviction on bribery and corruption charges, The Washington Post’s ABBIE CHEESEMAN and NICOLE MARKUS report. — NAVIN GIRISHANKAR is joining the Center for Strategic and International Studies as president of its new economic security and technology department. He most recently was senior counselor to the deputy secretary of Commerce, and is a Bridgewater Associates and World Bank alum. — RONALD L. ROWE, JR. will serve as acting director of the Secret Service. Rowe, a 24-year veteran of the agency, previously served as deputy director of the Secret Service. — The White House has nominated career foreign service officer GABRIEL ESCOBAR to be the next ambassador to Paraguay. He most recently served as deputy assistant secretary of state in the bureau of European and Eurasian affairs.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Lockheed Martin is delivering advanced radar capabilities primed for the future
We've established a legacy of producing high-performing solid-state radars, giving forces the range and precision they need to defend against advanced threats. Learn more. | | | | | — NADIA SCHADLOW, POLITICO: Europe should stop hand-wringing about Trump — and be more constructive — ROBBIE GRAMER, Foreign Policy: U.S. works to revamp peace process for war-torn Sudan — IVAN NECHEPURENKO, The New York Times: In Georgia’s depressed heartland, pining for the Soviet past
| | — American Enterprise Institute, 9 a.m.: Delivering on a shared vision with America’s Indo-Pacific allies and partners, with top Biden administration officials DANIEL KRITENBRINK,MIRA RAPP-HOOPER and ELY RATNER. — Brookings Institution, 10 a.m.: Challenges and opportunities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. — The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, 10 a.m.: Hearing on Russia’s persecution of Ukrainian Christians. — RAND Corporation, 12 p.m.: Reconstructing Ukraine. — The Wilson Center, 2 p.m.: Forum about the African Growth and Opportunity Act, civil society and organized labor. — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2 p.m.: U.S. role for a new regional order in the South Caucasus. — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 5 p.m.: The IMF at 80: An assessment of its policies in the Middle East and North Africa region. Thanks to our editor, Rosie Perper, whose editing schedule barely registers with Matt. (I’m sorry, Rosie!) Thanks to our producer, Gregory Svirnovskiy, who makes sure this newsletter is always on track. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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