Just a few hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress, the Capitol Hill area and surrounding streets have turned into a fortress.
In light of the expected protests, Washington police have increased their presence and are being assisted by reinforcements from New York, Virginia, and Maryland; streets leading to Congress have been closed; tourist bus routes have been redirected.
Security has also been heightened near the Israeli Embassy and around the Watergate Hotel, where the Israeli delegation is staying. Last night, hundreds protested in front of the hotel, projecting the message "Stop Netanyahu" along with his portrait onto the hotel's facade.
Yesterday, about 200 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested in one of the congressional buildings, and it is estimated that around 10,000 protesters will arrive at Capitol Hill ahead of the speech.
Tonight (Israel time), Speaker of the House, Republican Mike Johnson, sent a letter to lawmakers asking them to warn their guests against provocations during the speech.
"We will enforce a zero-tolerance policy for disturbances in the building," Johnson wrote. "If ant disruptions does occur, the Sergeant at Arms and Capitol police will remove offending visitors from the gallery and subject them to arrest."
In any case, around 80 members of the House of Representatives are expected to be absent from Netanyahu's speech, along with six senators. In 2015, when Netanyahu spoke against Obama's approach to Iran, about 60 lawmakers boycotted his speech.
