Capitol Police adding more officers for Netanyahu visit

U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) is adding more officers ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington next week.

In a statement, Capitol Police said it has been “working around the clock” with federal, state and local partners to prepare for Netanyahu’s trip, after a bipartisan group of lawmakers officially invited the Israeli leader in May to deliver a joint address to Congress.

“For safety reasons, we never provide specific security details, but generally we can say that our plan includes adding more officers — including from several outside agencies — continuing our robust intelligence sharing with our partners, and ensuring that we have enough resources for our teams,” USCP representatives said.

The decision to invite Netanyahu to address lawmakers has sparked controversy as the war in Gaza continues on. Several Democratic lawmakers have already announced they will protest Netanyahu’s speech.

More than 200 anonymous staff members across more than 100 congressional offices signed a letter earlier this week calling for Congress to protest or boycott the address. Other prominent Israeli groups have also pressed lawmakers to rescind the invitation.

Capitol Police said they expect there to be “a large number of demonstrators.”

“We respect everyone’s First Amendment rights, however all demonstrations must be done peacefully and legally,” the USCP said.

Road closures and more information for the public will be announced in the coming days, officials confirmed.

The Biden administration is working with partners to negotiate a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas that would free the remaining hostages held in Gaza.

Israel has faced widespread criticism for the war in Gaza, where the Palestinian death toll nears 39,000, per the Gaza Health Ministry.