WASHINGTON

Democrats this week staged a historic boycott of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to a joint session of Congress, with an unprecedented number of the party's federal representatives opting to skip the speech.

Netanyahu receives standing ovation from US lawmakers despite war crimes in Gaza

The symbolic showing is not, however, indicative of any meaningful change in the party's hitherto unwavering support for continued unconditional aid for Israel, even as the Palestinian death toll continues to mount, now rapidly approaching 40,000 amid acute shortages of daily necessities and medical supplies that have put the coastal enclave on the brink of famine and at risk of severe disease.

Nearly all of Gaza's population -- 1.9 million out of 2.3 million -- has been forced into internal displacement amid relentless Israeli bombardment that has turned much of the territory into a sprawling field of rubble.

The true death toll is feared to be much higher than the official toll reported by Gaza's Health Ministry because many of the missing Palestinians are presumed dead under the rubble. US-supplied weapons have been repeatedly linked to attacks that have killed scores of civilians, including children.

Many of the Democrats who boycotted Netanyahu's address said they were doing so because of the humanitarian catastrophe that his war has spawned, including Representative Ami Bera, who said: "It is imperative to agree to a cease-fire, release the hostages, and negotiate a future that promises peace and stability for Israelis and Palestinians."

US, Germany lead West in arming Israel’s war on Gaza

Representative Robert Garcia, another boycotter, said in October that "Palestinian and Israeli lives have equal value."

"Israel has a right to defend itself against Hamas and must follow international law in their response," he said on X. "I support a humanitarian pause in order to prioritize rescuing hostages and getting food, water and aid to civilians."

"@POTUS is right that #Israel has a right to self-defense, and I commend him for emphasizing the need to focus on #Hamas & minimize harm to civilians. I grieve for the loss of innocent Israeli and Palestinian lives & worry for the safety of hostages as a ground incursion expands," Representative Steve Cohen said in October on X.

Group of Democratic lawmakers skip Netanyahu's address in Congress

But Bera, Cohen and Garcia, like dozens of the Democrats who partook in the protest, also voted to authorize a sweeping spending package to send Israel billions of dollars in US military assistance in April, when the death toll stood around 34,000, so that it could continue its war on Gaza.

Just 58 representatives voted against the supplemental, including 37 Democrats. At least 73 House Democrats boycotted Netanyahu, in addition to 23 senators, according to a tally compiled by Anadolu.

The sweeping volume of holdouts stands in stark contrast to the dozens of standing ovations Netanyahu received from many of the lawmakers present Wednesday.

Many other Democrats, like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, sought to portray their decision to skip the speech as a reflection of concerns with Netanyahu's leadership rather than an explicit renunciation of Israel's actions in Gaza.

"Benjamin Netanyahu’s presentation in the House Chamber today was by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary invited and honored with the privilege of addressing the Congress of the United States. Many of us who love Israel spent time today listening to Israeli citizens whose families have suffered in the wake of the October 7th Hamas terror attack and kidnappings," she said after Netanyahu's address.

"These families are asking for a cease-fire deal that will bring the hostages home – and we hope the Prime Minister would spend his time achieving that goal," she added.

As Netanyahu addressed the gathering at the Capitol, thousands of demonstrators gathered outside, protesting him and Israel's ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. They called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and denounced the decision to grant the Israeli leader one of the highest honors possible for a foreign leader.