‘Israel first, America next’: Regional military alliance needed to combat Iran, Netanyahu says

All countries who are at peace with Israel and who will make peace with Israel must join a military alliance against Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said as he delivered his historic fourth address to a joint session of Congress.

“We saw a glimpse of that alliance in April,” when five armies to took to the skies to shoot down an Iranian missile and drone attack against the Jewish state, he said,

This new alliance would be a natural extension of the ground breaking Abraham Accords, he stated, noting that it should be called the Abraham Arms. 

He thanked both US President Joe Biden for his role as the architect of that April defense and spoke of his gratitude to former US President Donald Trump for brokering the Abraham Accords.

“Israel will always remain Israel’s indispensable ally,” he stated adding that he came to Congress to thank the US for its support for the Jewish state in its hours of need and pledged that together the two countries would defend democracy over tyranny, particularly against when facing Iran’s axis of evil.

“Iran sees American as its greatest enemy,” Netanyahu said, explaining that the Islamic Republic has been fighting Washington since it came to power, including taking US hostages, killing its servicemen and bombing its embassies.

“They sent death squads here” to murder US officials, he said.

Standing in its way, is the smell democracy of Israel, Netanyahu said. “For Iran, Israel is first, America is next,” he stated. 

Axis of evil

“When we fight Iran we are fighting the most radical and murderous enemy of the United States,” Netanyahu said. When Israel engages in that fight and works to prevent a nuclear Iran, “we are not only protecting ourselves, we are protecting you,” he said.

“Our enemies are your enemies, our fight is your fight, our victories will be your victories,” he stated to resounding applause. One person yelled out, “yes sir.”

That victory is in sight, as an Israel defeat of Hamas is a powerful blow to the axis of terror, Netanyahu said. He referenced the IDF multi-front battles against Iranian proxies, Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Lebanon.

Earlier this month, Netanyahu explained, the Houthis sent an armed drone to Tel Aviv, which caused an explosion next to a branch of the US embassy.

Just as Israel defends the United States, “I know that America has our back,” he said. Netanyahu spoke of the joint defense and intelligence cooperation that helps protect both countries. 

“We help keep US boots of the ground while protecting our citizens in the Middle East,” Netanyahu stated, adding “I deeply appreciated America’s support.” 

US-Israel relations

Netanyahu appealed to the US to fast track military aid to help prevent a broader war in the Middle East.

His speech was a success from the moment he walked into the room, where he was greeted with resounding applause that continued throughout his address including multiple sounding ovations.

Netanyahu told the Congress that they were meeting at moment that was a “crossroad of history.” 

Congress members stood and applauded when Netanyahu stated, “For the forces of civilization to triumph, America and Israel must stand together.” They got out of their chairs again, when Netanyahu stressed, “when we stand together, something important happens, we win, they lose.”

And “we will win,” he added to another standing ovation.

Netanyahu referenced the Hamas led-invasion of October 7 in which over 1,200 people were killed and another 251 seized as hostages. 

He described the brutality of the attack and mentioned the hostages and their family members who were in the gallery, including rescued hostage Noa Argamani who sat between her father and Netanyahu’s wife Sara.

“I will not rest until all their loved ones are homes,” Netanyahu said.

“As we speak we are actively engaged in efforts to secure their release,” some of that activity is taking place right now and “I’m certain it will succeed.”

Netanyahu thanked US President Joe Biden for his unwavering support since the start of the war, including his October trip, which he said, “would never be forgotten.”

“I want to thank him for half a century of friendship to Israel and for being a proud Irish American Zionist,” Netanyahu said. He also thanked the IDF soldiers including those who were Muslim and Bedoin, a number of whom were present in the room and stood up to a round of applause.

Persecution of Jews

Pointing to the long history of persecution, Netanyahu said, the “Jewish people are no longer helpless in the face of our enemies.”

To I pledge to you that the sacrifice of your loved ones will not be in vein,” Netanyahu stated.

“Never again must never be an empty promise, it must always remain a sacred vow and after October 7, never again is now,” he stated.

Defating Israel’s enemies requires courage and clarify, “by knowing the difference between good and evil,” he said

Increasingly many anti-Israel protestors stand with evil, they stand with Hamas, with rapists and murderers,” he stated.

“They should be ashamed of themselves,” he said. 

Israel recently learned that Iran is funding and promoting anti-Israel protests in America, they want ot disrupt America,” he said.

Someone in the gallery shouted out “yes,” to that statement. Others shouted out, “USA, USA!”

Iran is funding the anti-Israel protests outside of this building, he said.

Those protesters, he said, “have become Iran’s useful idiots.”

Some of these protesters hold up signs proclaiming gays for Gaza or from the River to the Sea, but they do not know what River and Sea they are talking about.

They call Israel a colonial state, “don’t they know that” this is the land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, he stated. For 4,000 years Israel has been the land of the Jewish people, Netanyahu said, “it has always been our home and it will always be our home.”

The problem is not just with the protestors but also in the halls of the country’s top elite schools, including his own alma mater MIT, he said. 

Malicious lies historically leveled against Jews for centuries are now leveled against the Jewish state, he said, “When ever we see the scourge of antisemitism… we must fight it,” Netanyahu stated.

This includes when the international court of leveling preposterous charges against Israel of genocide and starvation.

“I want to assure you, no matter what pressure is brought to bear,” Netanyahu said, he would never allow another October 7th style attack to happen against Israel.

The vast majority of Americans have not fallen for the “preposterous” lies against Israel, but as to the minority, they should listen to urban warfare expert John Spencer who has lauded IDF efforts to preserve civilian life.

Spencer has said that Israel has taken steps above and beyond what international law requires, Netanyahu said.

The ICC

The war in Gaza has one of the lowest ratios of combatant to civilian deaths of any war, and its lowest in Rafah, Netanyahu stated.

“The ICC is trying to shackle Israel’s hands and prevent it from defending itself,” Netanyahu said, warning that if this happens, the ICC will do the same to the US and other democracies.

Israeli will fight until it destroys Hamas and returns all the hostage, Netanyahu said.

The IDF must retain overriding security control of Gaza to ensure that “it never again poses another threat to Israel,” Netanyahu stated. 

The governance should be by Palestinians “who do not seek to destroy Israel, that is not to much to ask,” Netanyahu said.

Gaza must be de-militarized and de-radicalized, he said.

Jerusalem’s eternal capital will never be divided again, he said. 

“The hands of the Jewish state will never be shackled, Israel will always defend itself,” Netanyahu said.

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