WASHINGTON — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a largely triumphant address to Congress on Wednesday, a historic moment that highlighted how deeply implicated the U.S. is in Netanyahu’s widely condemned handling of Israel’s offensive in Gaza
Netanyahu, who repeatedly received standing ovations from hundreds of lawmakers, declared: “Our fight is your fight! And our victory will be your victory!”
He cast the U.S. and Israel as jointly aligned against multiple opponents: Iran and its allies, favorite punching bags for both nations; but also institutions working on international justice, like the International Criminal Court, which is considering issuing an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
He even won huge applause for condemning Americans who have protested the war, casting them as agents of Iran and “useful idiots” — a line that Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), who is reportedly being considered as a potential running mate for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, clapped for.
Netanyahu thanked President Joe Biden for extensive U.S. support for Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 attack by the Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas.
But he made clear that he expects even more: “Give us the tools faster and we’ll finish the job faster,” the Israeli leader said of American weaponry.
Netanyahu’s speech appeared to vindicate attempts by the Israeli leader and House Republicans to undercut criticism of him. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) suggested the address after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called for Netanyahu’s ouster earlier this year; Schumer eventually signed on to the idea.
Many legislators — at least one Republican and roughly half the Democrats in each chamber of Congress, including Harris (the ceremonial president of the Senate) — skipped the address, citing frustration with Netanyahu’s focus on his own political standing and his resistance to U.S. calls to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
But the presence of an overwhelming majority of Congress will let Netanyahu accurately say he secured broad, bipartisan U.S. support for his ongoing war effort. That could help him quell intense opposition at home, over matters like his slow-rolling of a cease-fire agreement that could help free Israeli hostages captured during the Oct. 7 attack.
A few attendees of the speech channeled the sentiments of the thousands of anti-Netanyahu protesters who gathered near Capitol Hill earlier in the day, as well as the anti-war rallies that have occurred worldwide for months.
Schumer did not shake Netanyahu’s hand as the Israeli leader entered the chamber and greeted multiple high-ranking lawmakers.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), the sole Palestinian American in Congress, raised a sign halfway through the Netanyahu address that read “WAR CRIMINAL” on one side and “GUILTY OF GENOCIDE” on the other.
Meanwhile, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) mouthed “bullshit” when Netanyahu said he was focused on bringing home Israeli hostages. He was visibly reading a biography of Netanyahu, “The Netanyahu Years” by Ben Caspit , that argues he “wasted” his talents “on personal survival, adherence to the status quo, and fear mongering.”
Several relatives of hostage families also offered pushback as they attended Netanyahu’s speech as guests of legislators.
They revealed that they were wearing “SEAL THE DEAL NOW” T-shirts during the address — prompting U.S. Capitol Police to arrest them, seemingly for violating Johnson’s stated “zero-tolerance policy for disturbances.” The group arrested included at least six people, Brianna Burch of the Capitol Police told HuffPost in an email. Burch did not immediately provide details on where they are being held and if they may face prosecution, per Johnson’s threat against anyone disrupting the Netanyahu event.
Netanyahu and his right-wing allies have demonstrated their stubbornness in the face of calls from the Biden administration and others in the U.S. to prioritize a ceasefire and Israeli-Palestinian peace. Earlier on Wednesday, close Netanyahu ally and far-right Israeli security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir endorsed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in an interview with Bloomberg , and last week, Israeli’s parliament overwhelmingly voted against the prospect of establishing a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu directly praised Trump in his Wednesday remarks.
He offered some details on his vision for the future of Gaza, a major sticking point in negotiations with Hamas for an end to the fighting.
But the proposals he spoke of are unlikely to bolster the chances of a deal for the Strip or an overall Israeli-Palestinian settlement.
“We must maintain overriding security control” of the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu said. Though he said he does not want to restore Israeli settlements there, a significant Israeli presence could spur a Hamas-led insurgency and would be hard to accept for other forces who could control the strip, from the U.S.-backed Palestinian Authority to Arab states who are willing to work with Israel.
Notably, Netanyahu also described Jerusalem as “never to be divided again,” a statement that all Republicans and many Democrats present applauded, including skeptics of his like Schumer. Palestinian control of some part of Jerusalem has long been understood as a central component to any long-term Israeli-Palestinian bargain.
Multiple observers of the speech from afar described it as a major disappointment.
“Congrats again to everyone who facilitated this disgraceful campaign rally speech from Netanyahu,” former Obama administration national security Tommy Vietor wrote on X. “Hope they’re proud to watch him attack American college students and freedom of speech and assembly from Congress.”
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a former speaker of the House of Representatives, called the address “by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary invited and honored with the privilege of addressing the Congress of the United States.”
In an interview a few blocks from the Capitol, at a rally that eventually succeeded in forcing Netanyahu’s motorcade to reroute, protester Loan Tran told HuffPost it’s “completely deplorable” for Netanyahu to address U.S. officials while he is “using our tax dollars to enable this ongoing genocide.”
For Netanyahu, however, the moment ended with a wave of Republican lawmakers requesting selfies and a reel of useful footage of him becoming the first Israeli leader to address Congress four times.
The campaign he has overseen in Gaza has now killed at least 39,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, while around 120 hostages remain captive in the territory.
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