(The Center Square) – Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress Wednesday afternoon during a crucial time in the ongoing war between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas.
Netanyahu thanked the U.S. for its support, spoke at length about the suffering of the hostages and their families as well as the “barbarism” of Israel’s enemies, and promised to bring the hostages home.
“We meet today at a crossroads of history,” Netanyahu said. “Our world is in upheaval.”
Netanyahu addressed “Iran’s axis of terror,” calling it a clash between “barbarism and civilization” and pointing out Iran's nuclear threat.
Iran directly funds militant groups that have been firing on Israel for months, such as the Houthis and Hezbollah. Both groups have been designated terrorist groups by the U.S. State Department.
The Houthis have also been firing on ships from around the world, including U.S. ships, passing through the strait of Hormuz, significantly endangering and disrupting global trade.
Hamas is also designated a terrorist group.
“For civilization to triumph, America and Israel must stand together,” Netanyahu continued.
In his speech before lawmakers, Netanyahu explained in detail Oct. 7, the day when about 3,000 Hamas militants entered Israel and “butchered 1,200 people from 41 countries, including 39 Americans.”
That attack sparked a fierce response from Israel, which has been conducting missile strikes in Gaza for months to take out terrorists and destroy the extensive network of underground tunnels the terror group uses to move weapons, supplies and even pathways into Israel itself.
Israel’s war in Gaza has become increasingly controversial as the death toll for civilians in Gaza is in the thousands, though the actual figure is disputed.
Some Democrats have become increasingly critical of Netanyahu and Israel’s war, saying he should do much more to avoid civilian casualties. Hamas’s strategy involves hiding behind civilians and setting up bases underneath or within important sites like schools and hospitals.
For context, Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs reports that about 200,000 Iraqi civilians died after the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Netanyahu addressed concerns that Israel was not giving enough aid for residents of Gaza, saying plenty of aid had been given but that Hamas was stealing it. He also said Israel goes to great lengths to avoid civilian deaths, which includes warning civilians to leave certain areas.
Netanyahu brought a young woman named Noa Argamani to the speech. A viral video of the Oct. 7 event showed Noa being kidnapped on the back of a motorcycle. She was later rescued and reunited with her family.
Families of American hostages were also present at the speech.
“The pain these families have endured is beyond words,” Netanyahu said. “I will not rest until all their loved ones are home, all of them,” referencing the hostages that still remain in Gaza.
Netanyahu thanked President Joe Biden for his help with the hostages and their families and for calling out Hamas as “sheer evil.”
Netanyahu called out the protesters in America who support Hamas and reminded lawmakers that the Holocaust proved Israel needs its own state, for its own protection from antisemitism.
Netanyahu pointed out that Hamas murders gay people and oppresses women.
“They should be ashamed of themselves,” Netanyahu said of the protesters, saying they side with those who “murder babies.”
Many children, including babies, were killed by Hamas on Oct. 7.
Netanyahu also pointed to historical Jewish figures, made famous by the Bible, like King David and Solomon, who occupied Palestine well before the current residents of Gaza.
“For nearly 4,00 years, the land of Israel has been the home of the Jewish people," he said. "It has always been our home. It will always be our home.”
Notably absent from the speech was Vice President Kamala Harris, the new Democratic nominee for president, who hit the campaign trail this week.
Analysts speculate that Harris may be trying to show less fervent support for Israel than Biden, who took fire from the left wing of his own party, many of whom support Hamas’ efforts, accusing Israel of wrongfully occupying its historic homeland
“Hamas is still holding over 100 hostages and Kamala Harris is skipping Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to go to a sorority event,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “She needs to get serious.”
Harris took flak for the decision.
“Kamala Harris’ refusal to greet Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at the tarmac is reprehensible,” Texas’ Republican Gov. Greg Abbott wrote on X. “Her plan to boycott his joint address to Congress is shameful. It’s clear that Harris sides with the woke antisemitic members of her party. Texas will always stand with Israel.”
Some lawmakers spoke out against Netanyahu’s visit, blasting him for the casualties in Gaza because of the war.
Others welcomed the Israeli leader.
“Today, 292 days after the October 7th attacks, we must continue to stand with our ally Israel and support their fight to destroy Hamas and bring every hostage home,” U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla, wrote on X.
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