Speaker Mike Johnson to address Israeli parliament June 22

Washington — House Speaker Mike Johnson announced Wednesday he will travel to Israel later this month to address the Israel's parliament, known as the Knesset, in Jerusalem.

"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 announcing the June 22 address. "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, a Louisiana Republican, has led House Republicans in their staunch support of Israel in the war in Gaza that began following Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Johnson's speakership began weeks later, after the ouster of his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy. 

McCarthy also addressed the Knesset during his speakership in May 2023. And for Johnson, the overseas trip marks one of a small number he's taken since becoming speaker. His first trip abroad since taking the gavel came in September when he attended the G7 summit in Italy.

The visit comes 20 months after the conflict between Israel and Hamas began. The U.S. has long been engaged in ongoing negotiations to broker a ceasefire between the two, and President Trump has expressed optimism in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Israel has faced intense criticism in recent months for a blockade on aid deliveries into Gaza.

Johnson met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington in February. The speaker reiterated Wednesday that "it is our moral imperative to stand by our sister democracy" amid "grave threats" to Israel and Jewish people.

"As terror and vile antisemitic ideology threaten Western Civilization, Israel must know that when America said, 'Never Again,' we meant it," Johnson added.