US House Speaker Mike Johnson to Address Knesset in Historic Visit on June 22

US House Speaker Mike Johnson will make a landmark trip to Israel this month, where he is set to address the Knesset on June 22, according to a Wednesday statement from Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana’s office.

Johnson, a Republican, will become the third US House speaker to deliver a speech in Israel’s parliament, following in the footsteps of Newt Gingrich and Kevin McCarthy, who were also Republicans.

Emphasizing his strong rapport with the Speaker, Ohana described Johnson as “a great friend of the State of Israel and the Jewish people.”

“From the first moment he was elected, he not only expressed his support in words, but also acted, even at the risk of his position, to assist the State of Israel in its most difficult moments. I am full of appreciation… and I look forward to hosting him and hearing his words to the nation,” Ohana said.

Johnson expressed his deep gratitude in a Hebrew-language statement released by Ohana’s office: “It will be one of the greatest honors of my life to accept Knesset Speaker Ohana’s invitation to address the Knesset at this crucial time.”

“Our bonds run deeper than military partnerships and trade agreements. We are connected by the same beliefs, the same Psalms, and the same sacred pursuit of freedom. Today, the State of Israel and the Jewish people around the world face grave threats, and it is our moral duty to stand by our sister democracy. As terrorism and the vile ideology of antisemitism threaten Western civilization, Israel must know that when America said ‘never again,’ we meant it,” Johnson stated, according to the Knesset Speaker’s office.

In addition to his parliamentary address, Johnson is also expected to meet with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu while in Jerusalem, according to a report from Punchbowl News.