Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrival in Washington has largely been met with indifference from lawmakers.

Despite the monumental nature of his upcoming address to Congress on Wednesday, Netanyahu’s visit has struggled to capture the attention it would typically command. Netanyahu’s arrival was marked by a noticeable lack of the usual pomp and circumstance, with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken failing to make the Israeli leader’s welcome a top priority.

“I had someone ask me what I thought Netanyahu would say in his speech, and I had to stop and think for a minute to realize that was this week. I had completely forgotten it was happening,” confessed a senior House aide to Politico.

“Netanyahu hasn’t really been able to get the traction and the airtime they would have expected,” another House aide added.

Among Democrats, Netanyahu has been widely criticized for his handling of Israel’s defensive war against Hamas. Key Democratic leaders are also weighing whether to attend his speech at all.

“I refuse to be a political prop in this act of deception because he’s not the great guardian of the U.S.-Israel relationship,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) told a small group of reporters on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Republicans are scrambling to show support for the embattled leader, with Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) condemning Democrats for their planned boycott. McCaul argues that the security situation Netanyahu will deliver to Congress directly impacts the United States, particularly in light of the American hostages still held in Gaza.

Neatnyahu is expected to meet with Biden and Harris on Thursday and former President Donald Trump on Friday.

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