WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Israel's war on Gaza and condemned American protesters in a scathing speech to Congress on Wednesday that drew boycotts from many top Democratic lawmakers and drew thousands to denounce the war and humanitarian crisis. He was dragged to the Congress building.
Netanyahu vowed to continue the war until “total victory,” dashing some hopes that the Israeli leader's trip to the United States could lead to progress in negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.
With the encouragement of American lawmakers and the heavy silence of others, Netanyahu sought to strengthen American support for his country's fight against Hamas and other Iranian-backed armed groups.
America and Israel must stand together. Wearing a yellow pin in solidarity with the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, Netanyahu said: “When we stand together, one very simple thing happens: we win, they lose.”
But the Israeli leader soon turned to a darker tone, mocking those who protested the war on college campuses and elsewhere in the United States, pointing to demonstrations in the streets outside the Capitol. He called the protesters “useful idiots” for Israel's enemies.
He drew cheers from many in Congress, but also silence from leading Democrats who refused to stand and cheer.
Freed former Hamas hostages and hostages' families listened in the hall of the parliament. Lawmakers from both parties rose to cheer the Israeli leader during softer moments in the speech. Security forces escorted the protesters into the gallery to display T-shirts with slogans calling for an agreement to end the conflict and the release of the hostages from the leaders.
Netanyahu accused numerous war protesters in the United States of standing with militants who he said killed babies in an Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
Netanyahu – who is frequently accused of meddling in US politics to favor conservative and Republican causes – opened his remarks by praising US President Joe Biden. But he turned to praising former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump “for everything he's done for Israel.”
With growing criticism against him in Israel as well, Netanyahu wanted to present himself as a respected statesman of Israel's most important ally. The task is complicated by the growing disagreement among Americans about Israel and the war, which has emerged as a key issue in the US presidential election.
High steel walls surrounded the Capitol on Wednesday and police fired pepper spray as thousands of protesters gathered near the building, denouncing Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and calling for a ceasefire.
Netanyahu received a warm welcome from House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican lawmakers who organized his speech on the floor of the House of Representatives. Netanyahu received bipartisan applause before his speech.
The appearance made Netanyahu the first foreign leader to address a joint session of Congress four times, surpassing Winston Churchill.
More than 50 Democrats and independent Bernie Sanders boycotted Netanyahu's speech. The most notable absence was right behind him: Vice President Kamala Harris, who serves as Senate President, said a long scheduled trip prevented her from attending.
Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the next Democrat in line, declined to attend, so Sen. Ben Cardin, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, served as “senator pro tempore.”
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat who has family on the West Bank, sat on the floor of the House with a pair of slippers she often wears draped over her shoulders. Last year, Tlaib was criticized for strongly criticizing Israel's conduct in the war.
Republicans said the absence of Harris, the new Democratic front-runner for president, was a sign of disloyalty to an ally. J.D. Vance, the former vice president of US President Donald Trump, was also absent from Netanyahu's speech due to the need to campaign.
Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden and Harris on Thursday and with Trump on Friday at Mara Lago.
Many of the demonstrators protested the killing of more than 39,000 Palestinians in the war. Others condemned Netanyahu's failure to free Israeli and American hostages taken by Hamas and other militias during the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war.
Support for Israel has long carried political weight in US politics. But the usual warm welcome to Netanyahu's visits has been dampened this time by political unrest, including an assassination attempt against Trump and Biden's decision not to seek another term.
Many Democrats who support Israel but have criticized Netanyahu saw the speech as an attempt by Republicans to portray themselves as the most loyal party.
Many Democrats attended the speech despite criticizing Netanyahu, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who called for new elections in Israel in a speech in March. Schumer, of New York, then said Netanyahu had “lost his way” and was an obstacle to peace in the region amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
About 60 lawmakers met with relatives of Hamas hostages on Wednesday, and they expressed their anger at Netanyahu. “Because by coming here, he risks making himself an issue and turning the humanitarian issue of the hostages into a political issue,” Maya Roman, who held several of her family members hostage, told lawmakers.
The United States is Israel's most important ally, supplier of arms, and source of military aid. Netanyahu's trip abroad is his first since the start of the war and comes in the shadow of arrest warrants sought against him by the International Criminal Court for alleged Israeli war crimes against the Palestinians. The United States does not recognize the International Criminal Court.
The Biden administration says it wants to see Netanyahu focus his visit on helping to finalize a deal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. A growing number of Israelis accuse Netanyahu of prolonging the war to avoid a potential fallout whenever the conflict ends.
Netanyahu has said that the purpose of his trip to America is to push for the release of hostages of Hamas and other militias in Gaza, to support the continuation of Israel's battle against this group, and to argue for the continuation of the confrontation with Lebanon's Hezbollah and other allies of Iran. Area groups
Some Democrats are wary of Netanyahu because he used a joint speech to Congress in 2015 to denounce then-President Barack Obama's pending Iran nuclear deal.
Netanyahu used the appearance early Wednesday to focus on Iran, its nuclear program and its network of armed allies. Speaking at a memorial service for former senator Joe Lieberman, he said Iran is “behind the axis of terror” that threatens the United States and Israel.
