In an impassioned speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the Gaza ceasefire protests taking place across the United States and accused Iran of funding them.
““I have a message for protesters: You have officially become Iran’s useful fools, because you are being praised, promoted and funded by the tyrants in Tehran who hang gays from cranes and kill women for not covering their hair,” Netanyahu said.
“Some of the protesters are holding up signs in support of gays in Gaza, which is no different from holding up signs saying ‘chicken for KFC’. Protesters are shouting ‘from the river to the sea’, but they have little idea which river or sea they are referring to.”
He spoke to a nearly full House chamber that included lawmakers and special guests such as billionaire Elon Musk, a former Israeli hostage who was held by Hamas on October 7 and released from the country.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed parliament. (Getty Images)
Among those in the chamber was Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), one of the House’s fiercest critics of Israel and a long-time supporter of Netanyahu’s arrest by the International Criminal Court. She stood in silent protest throughout much of the prime minister’s speech, holding a sign that read, “Ceasefire Now.”
Fox News Digital captured footage of House floor staff speaking with Tlaib multiple times before Tlaib took down the sign.
Rep. Ana Paulina Luna, R-Fla., was seen briefly in heated discussion with Tlaib before returning to her seat.
At several points in his speech, Netanyahu sought to link Israel’s war against Hamas and Iranian proxies in the Middle East to turmoil in the United States, highlighting his country as America’s closest ally in an increasingly volatile region.
“We are not just defending ourselves, we are defending you,” he said, drawing a standing ovation. “Our enemies are your enemies. Our fight is your fight. And our victory is your victory. Friends, that victory is at hand. Israel’s defeat of Hamas will be a powerful blow to the Iranian terror axis.”
Rep. Rashida Tlaib responded to the speech in silent protest. (Getty Images)
The speech will be Netanyahu’s fourth address to Congress and his first since Hamas launched a surprise attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. It also comes as both the Biden administration and Democratic lawmakers have become increasingly skeptical of Netanyahu’s response to Israel’s incursion into Gaza.
But in his speech, Netanyahu argued that continued support for Israel was the way to avoid direct US involvement.
He also likened the current conflict to World War II and himself to former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
“We are preventing US forces from entering the country on the ground while protecting our shared interests in the Middle East. We deeply appreciate US support, including in this war. But these are exceptional times. Expediting US military assistance could dramatically hasten an end to the war in Gaza and prevent a broader war in the Middle East,” Netanyahu said.
“In World War II, when Britain was fighting on the front lines of civilization, Winston Churchill made this famous appeal to Americans: ‘Give us the tools and we will get the job done.’ Today, as Israel fights on the front lines of civilization, I make an appeal to America: Give us the tools faster and we will get the job done faster.”
His comments were widely praised by Republicans, but reactions from Democrats were more mixed.
Israel’s war on Gaza has revealed a rift between the more traditional wing of the Democratic Party and progressive leftists critical of Israel’s conservative government.
