Speaker Johnson to address Israeli Knesset
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will travel to Israel later this month and address the Knesset, the country's lawmaking body, as the top lawmaker condemns the spate of antisemitic attacks that have taken place in the U.S.
The speech — set to take place on June 22 — will make Johnson the third Speaker of the House in history to address the Israeli parliament: Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) was the first in 1998, followed by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in 2023.
'It will be one of the highest honors of my life to address the Israeli Knesset at this fateful moment,' Johnson said in a statement on Wednesday. 'Our ties run deeper than military partnerships and trade agreements. We're bound by the same beliefs, the same psalms, and the same sacred pursuit of liberty.'
Johnson is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his trip, though the details are not yet confirmed.
The speech comes more than a year and a half into Israel's war with Hamas, which began in October 2023 when the U.S.-designated terrorist organization launched an attack on Israel. The conflict has led to the death of hundreds of Israelis and tens of thousands of Palestinians.
The address is also taking place amid a string of antisemitic attacks in the U.S., which Johnson has strongly condemned. Most recently, he and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) held a vigil on the Capitol steps to honor the Israeli embassy staffers who were fatally shot outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.
'Today, the State of Israel and Jewish people around the world face grave threats, and it is our moral imperative to stand by our sister democracy,' Johnson said in his statement on Wednesday. 'As terror and vile antisemitic ideology threaten Western Civilization, Israel must know that when America said, 'Never Again,' we meant it.'
The U.S.-Israeli relationship has been a key theme throughout Johnson's tenure as Speaker. The Louisiana Republican was elected to the top job weeks after Hamas attacked Israel, he oversaw the approval of billions of dollars in aid for Tel Aviv — after first trying to pair the funding with cuts to the IRS, which drew criticism — and he invited Netanyahu to the Capitol to deliver remarks to a joint session of Congress, which Johnson presided over.
Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ohana called Johnson 'a great friend of the State of Israel and the Jewish people.'
'From the moment he was elected, he not only expressed his support through words but also took decisive action, even at the risk of his position, to support Israel in its most challenging moments,' Ohana added in a statement. 'I hold him in great esteem, believe he is highly deserving of addressing the Knesset, and look forward to hosting him and hearing his words to the nation.'
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Atlantic
35 minutes ago
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Inside the Plot to Push Khamenei Aside
America's Saturday night attacks on Iran have amplified an ever-more open debate in Tehran over the future of the country and whether Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should remain in power. In the days leading up to the American intervention, a group of Iranian businessmen, political and military figures, and relatives of high-ranking clerics had begun hatching a plan for running Iran without Khamenei, two sources involved in the discussions told me—whether in the event of the 86-year-old leader's death or of his being pushed aside. Constitutionally, the Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 clerics, would need to vote to dismiss Khamenei from his position, but organizing such a vote under current circumstances is unlikely. The leader could also be more informally sidelined, say, by insiders who pressure or persuade him to pass real power to a temporary replacement. The plotters have agreed that a leadership committee consisting of a few high-ranking officials would take over running the country and negotiate a deal with the United States to stop the Israeli attacks. The sources were fearful of being discovered but said that they were telling me of their conversations in the hope that the exposure could help them gauge regional and international response. Among the details they shared with me are that former president Hassan Rouhani, who is not involved in the discussions, is being considered for a key role on the leadership committee, and that some of the military officials involved have been in regular contact with their counterparts from a major Gulf country, seeking buy-in for changing Iran's trajectory and the composition of its leadership. 'Ours is just one idea,' one person involved in conversations told me. 'Tehran is now full of such plots. They are also talking to Europeans about the future of Iran. Everybody knows Khamenei's days are numbered. Even if he stays in office, he won't have actual power.' This was before the U.S. bombardment. I reached out to this person just after the explosions in Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan, and he said, 'I think the chances of us succeeding to somehow sideline Khamenei have now increased. But we are all worried and not sure. It could also go exactly the opposite way.' The other person I spoke with who was involved in the conversations told me that he was less optimistic now about the group's plan securing peace with the U.S. and Israel. 'But even if Iran ends up choosing a belligerent position against the United States, Khamenei might have to be pushed aside,' he said. The extent of last night's damage is currently subject to a war of narratives between Washington and Tehran. The U.S. has averred that its bombing was a spectacular success—President Donald Trump claims to have 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear program— while Iran has sought to downplay the destruction, claiming that it had already moved its nuclear materiel and that the strikes had not penetrated fortified sites. Either way, the mood in Iranian circles close to the regime has bifurcated, I'm told. Some insiders, including the plotters I spoke with, want to sue for a deal with Trump, even if that means ditching Khamenei. Others believe that Iran must fight back, because otherwise it will invite further aggression. 'Iran will respond and the war will expand, even if only for the time being,' Mostafa Najafi, a Tehran-based expert close to the Iranian security establishment told me shortly after the attacks. I'd spoken to Najafi a day earlier. At that time, he told me that Iran had already readied itself for American intervention and several months of war. Despite a week of harsh Israeli assaults, Iran's missile and drone capacities were still considerable, he'd said, adding that Iran's long experience in asymmetric warfare left it well-situated for a prolonged battle with the United States and Israel. Iran had so far sought to avoid dragging America into the war with Israel, Najafi said—Tehran had not unleashed its regional militia allies on American interests in the region—but a U.S. direct hit could change that calculus. Iran's options would be limited in this regard, however. Lebanon's Hezbollah is a shadow of its former self and has shown little interest in joining Iran's fight with Israel and the United States. Iraq is in the midst of a national electoral campaign, making its pro-Tehran militias unlikely to want to be seen as dragging the country into a new conflict. Some in the Iranian ruling establishment have suggested that the country will now leave the Non-Proliferation Treaty and openly pursue nuclear weaponization. This fits the belligerent tone emanating even from some centrist elements. For example, before the U.S. attack, Ali Larijani, a former speaker of parliament, personally threatened Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, saying that Iran would 'come after' him after the war. But events may be moving too fast for Khamenei to carry out longterm plans. In the days ahead, Iran may well respond with a symbolic attack, likely on U.S. bases in Iraq, Mojtaba Dehghani, a Europe-based expert with intimate knowledge of Iran's leadership told me. But Dehghani speculated that such a move would probably expand the war and end in Khamenei's downfall, as a rival faction would then be motivated to seize the reins and seek peace with the United States. For years, Khamenei has led his country in chants of 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel' while avoiding fighting either on Iran's home turf. Now Iranian territory is under fire from both. The country faces a stark choice. Either it expands the war and risks additionally antagonizing the Gulf countries that host American bases, or it seeks a historic compromise with the U.S. that would mean giving up its decades-long hostility. Khamenei's stance is at once recalcitrant and cautious to the point of cowardice. Elites around him are wondering whether he will have to be tossed aside in pursuit of either course.
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Senate GOP slashes megabill's tax costs with new accounting method
Tax legislation recently unveiled by Senate Republicans only costs $441 billion when tallied using a novel accounting method requested by the GOP. The new estimate by the Joint Committee on Taxation, which was released late Saturday night, shows how Senate Republicans were able to slash the costs of sweeping tax legislation set to be included in the GOP's sweeping megabill by using a 'current policy baseline' — a never-before-used technique that wipes out the cost of extending existing tax cuts that are set to expire at year's end. The contrast with the traditional method of fiscal scoring, accounting for tax policy as currently enacted into law, is profound: Similar tax legislation that passed the House in May was estimated by JCT to cost $3.8 trillion under the old method. In defending the revised baseline, Republicans have argued that extending current tax law shouldn't be counted as adding to the deficit because the GOP is merely preventing huge tax increases on individuals and businesses around the country. But critics have derided the measure, asserting that it threatens to blow up long-standing budget rules and disguises the cost of the GOP's marquee legislation. 'Extending the Trump tax cuts prevents a $4 trillion tax increase — this is not a change in current tax policy or tax revenue,' said Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) in a statement on Sunday morning. 'This score more accurately reflects reality by measuring the effects of tax policy changes relative to the status quo.' Democrats have requested JCT release a score under the current-law approach. That will 'show the actual cost of the bill,' said Ryan Carey, a spokesperson for Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Finance Democrat. 'Republicans rigged this score with deceptive math designed to hide the true, multi-trillion dollar cost of their proposals, and they wouldn't need to do this at all if their bill actually paid for itself,' Carey said. The new estimate shows the softened math of large tax cuts from those affecting individuals and families to businesses and companies. Extending basic individual tax rates lowered by Trump's 2017 tax bill, for instance, was estimated by JCT to cost around $2.2 trillion in the House-passed bill. In the Senate bill, under the new baseline, a permanent extension and modification of those rates costs only $83 billion. Likewise, an expansion of the Child Tax Credit in the House-passed bill would cost around $800 billion. In the Senate bill, JCT estimates that Senate Republicans' version of expansions to the family credit would cost only $124 billion. In the House bill, a permanent extension of a key deduction for business would cost around $820 billion. Senate Republicans proposal to make the deduction permanent would cost just $6 billion. Senate Republicans also made deviations to the House Republican plan on a number of the proposed tax cuts. The Senate GOP, for instance, dialed back the cost of President Donald Trump's campaign promises to provide tax relief for tips and overtime work by tens of billions of dollars. The GOP accounting gambit is expected to face a challenge from Senate Democrats, who will argue that the novel baseline does not comply with budget rules governing the filibuster-skirting reconciliation process. Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough is expected to weigh in on legality of the provisions in the GOP tax bill this week. But with Republicans intent on passing their megabill on party lines, they have been laying the groundwork to argue they don't need to heed advice from the parliamentarian on the current policy baseline issue and are preparing to potentially override Democrats' objection on the floor with a simple-majority vote. Fiscal hawks in the House will also likely be watching closely. Under a rule in the House budget set by Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.), the amount of tax cuts in the GOP's megabill needs to be offset by a corresponding amount of spending cuts. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has already committed to finding at least $1.5 trillion in spending cuts. But if the total cost of Senate Republicans' tax bill exceeds $4 trillion under current-law accounting, House Republicans will insist that any further tax cuts will need to be matched dollar-for-dollar by further spending cuts.
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Israel threatens Khamenei after hospital strike as global concerns grow over possible US entry into conflict
This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. Israel vowed to 'remove' Tehran's nuclear and ballistic missile threat after Iranian air strikes hit a hospital as fears among many countries grew over prospects the United States would join the fight to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Israeli military officials said several populated areas inside the country were attacked by Iran early on June 19, including a hospital in the southern city of Beersheba. Local media said there was severe damage to one ward of the hospital, with 40 people suffering mainly minor injuries. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), according to the Tasnim news agency associated with the IRGC, said it had targeted an Israeli military and intelligence headquarters near the Soroka medical center — the only Level 1 trauma center in southern Israel — in Beersheba. Israel said it bombed nuclear targets in Iran on June 19, including the Natanz and Isfahan sites. It had said the Busher site, the location of the country's only functioning nuclear power plant, was hit, but later retracted the statement. 'We are committed to destroying the nuclear threat, the threat of a nuclear annihilation against Israel,' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters in Beersheba. 'Our goal is twofold — nuclear, ballistic missile. We're going to remove them. We are in the process of completing the (removal of) this threat.' Meanwhile Defense Minister Israel Katz said instructions had been handed down to 'increase the intensity of attacks against strategic targets in Iran and against government targets in Tehran, warning Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 'can no longer be allowed to exist.' 'Khamenei openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed — he personally gives the order to fire on hospitals…He considers the destruction of the state of Israel to be a goal. Such a man can no longer be allowed to exist,' Katz said. The increased intensity on the ground comes as speculation grows over possible direct US involvement in the conflict, the worst ever between the two archenemies. The Wall Street Journal, citing three people familiar with the matter, reported that Trump had told aides he had approved plans for US forces to join Israel in the attacks on Iran but that he was waiting to see if Tehran would give up its nuclear program. Bloomberg also reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that US officials are preparing for a potential strike on Iran in the next few days, possibly over the weekend. In comments to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump did not confirm those reports, saying he was 'not looking to fight' Iran but that he might be forced to conduct such operations to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. 'I'm not looking to fight,' he said. 'But if it's a choice between fighting and [Iran] having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do.' 'You may have to fight,' he later stated. 'I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do,' Trump told reporters later outside the White House. Meanwhile, The New York Times, citing a senior Iranian official, said Tehran is open to a meeting with US negotiators to discuss a cease-fire and that Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi would attend such talks. As tensions rose, Washington's European allies heightened efforts to bring about a diplomatic solution. The foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Britain plan to hold nuclear talks with Araqchi on June 20 in Geneva, while the United Nations has scheduled a meeting on the crisis for the same day. A German diplomatic source told news agencies that the Geneva talks are aimed at persuading Iran to guarantee it will use its nuclear program solely for civilian purposes. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on June 19 that there is a 'real risk of escalation' and urged Trump to step back from military action against Iran. Israel launched the current offensive against Iran on June 13 saying it was necessary to halt Tehran's nuclear program. On June 18, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, rejected Trump's call for Tehran's 'unconditional surrender.' Khamenei said peace or war could not be imposed on the Islamic republic and warned the United States to stay on the sidelines of the conflict. The 86-year-old Khamenei — who under Iran's constitution has the final say on all strategic matters — was responding to comments by Trump late on June 17 that Iran's leader is safe 'for now' while he urged Tehran to offer its 'unconditional surrender.' 'The Iranian nation is not one to surrender,' Khamenei said in a prerecorded nationally televised address on June 18. 'Americans should know that any military involvement by the US will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage to themselves.' Trump on June 17 wrote on social media that Khamenei 'is an easy target, but is safe there — We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,' 'Our patience is wearing thin,' he added just hours after he called for a 'real end' to deadly air strikes by both Iran and Israel. Israel and many of its Western allies, including the United States, accuse Iran of seeking to build nuclear weapons. Tehran has vehemently rejected the accusations, saying its atomic program is purely for civilian purposes. The Israeli military confirmed it was carrying out a 'series of strikes' around the Iranian capital and other areas of the country on June 19, while also issuing evacuation warnings on social media in Arabic and Persian for residents and others near the Arak heavy-water reactor 250 kilometers southeast of Tehran and in the nearby Khondab area. 'The strike targeted the component intended for plutonium production, in order to prevent the reactor from being restored and used for nuclear weapons development,' Israel's military said. The UN's nuclear watchdog (IAEA) said later on June 19 that it has information that the Khondab heavy-water research reactor, still under construction, was hit. 'It was not operational and contained no nuclear material, so no radiological effects,' it said. The attacks have left millions of ordinary Iranians shaken, with thousands jamming highways leading out of Tehran to other cities as well as foreign destinations such as Turkey and Armenia, where they are seeking refuge from the fighting. Israel's military has said that, since the offensive was launched, more than 1,100 targets inside Iran have been struck. Much of the country's military and scientific leadership has been killed in air strikes, that rights groups say have also caused scores of civilian deaths. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a nongovernmental organization of Iranian activists based in the United States, reported on June 19 that 263 civilians, 154 security personnel, and 224 unspecified people had died in Israeli air attacks. It added that more than 1,300 more have been injured. The figures are based, it says, on official data and local reports. Israeli officials say 24 people in Israel have been killed in retaliatory air strikes launched by Iran. Authorities said that since June 13, Iran has fired some 400 missiles at Israel, with about 40 having bypassed air defenses to hit targets.
