Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a powerful speech to a special joint session of Congress on Wednesday, reminding the chamber that the U.S. has a stake in Israel’s fight against Hamas and Hezbollah terror.
“Our enemies are your enemies, our fight is your fight, and our victory will be your victory,” Netanyahu said.
He recalled the many attacks by Iran and its proxies against Americans, and noted Iran’s intent to target America after controlling the Middle East. In defending itself, he said, Israel was defending the United States as well.
“And as we defend ourselves on all fronts, I know that America has our back, and I thank you for it! All sides of the aisle,” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to a joint meeting of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Netanyahu, who was received with a standing ovation, began his address by acknowledging the Israeli hostages and their families, and by honoring Israeli soldiers in the gallery, — including Ethiopian and Muslim soldiers, and soldiers who, though wounded, returned to the fight.
He rebuked anti-Israel protesters, alluding to the thousands who had gathered outside the Capitol, noting that they stood with Hamas and with “evil,” and noting that they often attacked the U.S. and American symbols.
Absolute chaos at Union Station after US Park Police moved in to prevent anti-Israel protesters from taking down a U.S. flag. Arrests have been made. Park Police withdrew after securing the US flag, the mob chased them. pic.twitter.com/ZE3Lp6PQHC
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) July 24, 2024
Those protesters who held signs saying “gays for Gaza,” he said, may as well have said “Chickens for KFC,” a reference to the Islamic fundamentalism of Hamas, which persecutes and even executes gays and lesbians.
In the audience sat Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who wore a keffiyeh and held signs — “Guilty of Genocide”; “War Criminal” — in protest.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., holds a sign as she attends a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a joint meeting of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Netanyahu hailed the fraternity brothers at the University of North Carolina who saved an American flag from an anti-Israel, antisemitic mob on campus. And he called upon Americans to unite to fight the rising tide of antisemitism on campuses and around the country.
He pushed back against claims of Israeli misconduct in the war, noting that Israel had provided large amounts of aid to Palestinians.
He then moved on to explain that Iran is behind the threats to Israel and the Middle East, adding: “And as we defend ourselves on all fronts, I know that America has our back, and I thank you for it! All sides of the aisle.”
Netanyahu thanked President Biden for supporting Israel, but offered two implicit criticisms as well. He criticized those who said that Israel should not attack Hamas in the city of Rafah, noting that there had been few civilian casualties. As Republicans rose to their feet to offer a standing ovation, Democrats — who were among the critics — notably remained seated.
Later, he urged the U.S. to move quickly on military aid: “Fast-tracking U.S. military aid could expedite an end to the war in Gaza, and help prevent a broader war in the Middle East.” Left unsaid: Biden has held back some aid, formally and informally, leading Netanyahu to criticize the administration openly last month.
Netanyahu laid out his vision for “total victory” in the war in Gaza, which included the defeat of Hamas and the return of the Israeli hostages. After the war, he said, he envisioned a “demilitarized and de-radicalized Gaza.” He earned applause when he said that Israel would retain security control of the Gaza Strip to prevent another October 7.
He also proposed a new alliance in the Middle East, a “natural extension of the groundbreaking Abraham Accords.” Called the “Abraham Alliance,” he said, the new group, uniting Israel and the Sunni Arab states, could promote regional security and prosperity.
Netanyahu thanked Biden again for building such an alliance in the Red Sea in his efforts to thwart the Houthis, whom he noted Israel had attacked after a drone attack last week against Tel Aviv.
The prime minister then offered effusive praise for former President Donald Trump and his support for Israel, including moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and forging the Abraham Accords. Netanyahu’s praise for Trump was notably much longer than his praise for President Biden.
In closing, Netanyahu returned to his core message, which is that Israel’s fight against Iran and its proxies is also America’s fight, and that Israel is grateful for the aid that the United States provides to Israel in that fight.
Interestingly, Netanyahu did not spend too much time on Iran’s nuclear program, the focus of his speech to Congress in 2015. He focused on the more immediate threats from Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and militias in Iraq.
His one line about Iran seemed to foreshadow Israeli military action: “When Israel acts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons — nuclear weapons that could destroy Israel and threaten every American city, every city that you come from — we’re not only protecting ourselves, we’re protecting you.”
The speech, described by pundits afterwards as “masterful,” was extremely well-received, with many standing ovations — including from supporters of Israel like Elon Musk, who joined spectators in the gallery
Elon Musk, center, stands up to applaud Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks during a joint meeting of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
The speech set the stage for Netanyahu’s meetings with President Biden at the White House on Thursday and with former President Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday. He will meet Vice President Kamala Harris privately on Thursday.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of “”The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of “The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency,” now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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