House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Thursday he will invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress.

Why it matters: The idea was floated by several House Republicans as a way to hit back at Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for his recent criticism of Netanyahu.

What he's saying: "We'll certainly extend that invitation," Johnson said in an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box," adding that he'd "love to have" the Israeli PM address a joint session of Congress.

• Johnson said he has also been invited to address the Israeli Knesset and "we're just trying to work out schedules on all this."
• Asked about Schumer, Johnson said, "Well, I guess we'll find out. I mean, look, I'm the one that extends the invitations to speak in the House and if we just have the House, that's fine too."
• But, he added, "I think a big majority of that Senate would want to come and stand in support of Netanyahu and Israel."

The other side: A Schumer spokesperson told Axios that Johnson hasn't discussed the invitation with Schumer yet.

• But Schumer, in a statement, said Israel "has no stronger ally than the United States and our relationship transcends any one president or any one Prime Minister."
• "I will always welcome the opportunity for the Prime Minister of Israel to speak to Congress in a bipartisan way," he added.

Between the lines: The invitation comes as Congress is struggling to pass aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan.

Zoom in: A senior Israeli official said that while Netanyahu and Johnson discussed the issue in their call on Wednesday, a speech in Congress would likely only occur if Schumer agreed to it.

• "We don't think such an agreement is likely and Netanyahu isn't going to come and speak in front of half of Congress," the Israeli official said.

The other side: Even pro-Israel Democrats have expressed skepticism of Johnson's motives for inviting Netanyahu to speak, saying it seems transparently geared towards driving a wedge between Democrats.

• Several progressives told Axios they would not attend a Netanyahu speech: "I don't know if we call it a boycott, but I'm not going," said Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.).

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional developments.