Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a powerful speech to a special joint session of Parliament on Wednesday, reassuring Congress that the United States has a stake in Israel’s fight against Hamas and Hezbollah terrorism.
“Our enemies are your enemies, our fight is your fight, and our victory is your victory,” Netanyahu said.
He recalled many attacks against Americans by Iran and its proxies and pointed to Iran’s intention to target the U.S. after dominating the Middle East. By defending itself, Israel is also defending the United States, he said.
“And as we defend our country on every front, I know America will stand with us. And for that, I thank you! Members of Congress in all walks of life,” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Julia Nikkinson)
Netanyahu, who was greeted with a standing ovation, began his speech by thanking the Israeli hostages and their families and praising the Israeli soldiers in the audience, including Ethiopian and Muslim soldiers and one who had been wounded but returned to fight.
Referring to the thousands of anti-Israel protesters who gathered outside the Capitol, he scolded them, noting that they were siding with Hamas and “evil” and frequently attacking America and American symbols.
Chaos erupted at Union Station after the US Park Police intervened to stop anti-Israel protesters from taking down the US flag. Arrests were made. The Park Police retreated after securing the flag, but the mob pursued them. pic.twitter.com/ZE3Lp6PQHC
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) July 24, 2024
Protesters holding signs reading “Gays to Gaza” was the equivalent of saying “Chicken to KFC,” he said, referring to the Islamic fundamentalist group Hamas, which persecutes and even executes gays and lesbians.
Sitting in the audience was Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.). Keffiyeh They then held up placards reading ‘Crime of Genocide’ and ‘War Crimes’ in protest.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Democrat of Michigan, holds a sign as she attends Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Netanyahu praised sorority brothers at the University of North Carolina for rescuing an American flag from an anti-Israel, anti-Semitic mob on campus, and called on Americans to unite to fight the growing wave of anti-Semitism on campus and across the nation.
He pointed out that Israel has provided significant aid to the Palestinians and rejected claims of Israeli wrongdoing in the war.
He then explained that Iran is behind threats to Israel and the Middle East, adding, “And I know America will stand with us as we defend ourselves on every front. And for that, I thank you! To all sides of Congress.”
Netanyahu thanked Biden for his support of Israel, but also offered two implicit criticisms. He criticized those who say Israel should not attack Hamas in the city of Rafah, noting that there have been few civilian casualties. Republicans rose to their feet and gave Biden a standing ovation, while Democrats who were among his critics notably remained seated.
Biden then urged the U.S. to fast-track military aid: “Expediting U.S. military assistance would help hasten an end to the war in Gaza and prevent a broader war in the Middle East.” What was left unsaid was that Biden has formally and privately withheld some of the aid, leading Netanyahu to publicly criticize the administration last month.
Netanyahu laid out his vision for “total victory” in the Gaza war, including the defeat of Hamas and the return of Israeli hostages. He said he envisioned a “demilitarized and deradicalized Gaza” after the war. He also drew applause when he said Israel would maintain security control in the Gaza Strip to prevent a repeat of the October 7 attacks.
He also proposed a new alliance in the Middle East that would be a “natural extension of the landmark Abraham Accords.” The new grouping, called the “Abrahamic Alliance,” could bring together Israel and Sunni Arab countries to promote regional security and prosperity, he said.
Netanyahu noted that Israel struck the Houthis after a drone strike on Tel Aviv last week, and renewed his gratitude to Biden for forging such an alliance in the Red Sea as part of efforts to stop the Houthis.
The prime minister then went on to offer glowing praise to 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 much more lengthy than his praise for President Biden.
Finally, Prime Minister Netanyahu returned to his core message that Israel’s fight against Iran and its proxies is also America’s fight, and that Israel is grateful for the help the United States is providing Israel in that fight.
Interestingly, Netanyahu did not spend much time on Iran’s nuclear program, which was the focus of his 2015 parliamentary speech. He focused on the more immediate threats posed by Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iraqi militias.
His one comment about Iran seemed to foreshadow Israeli military action: “When Israel acts to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons — weapons that could destroy Israel and threaten every city in America, every city where you come from — we will not only be defending ourselves, we will be defending you.”
The speech, which critics later described as a “masterful speech”, was very well received and drew a standing ovation from many, including Israeli supporters such as Elon Musk, who joined the audience in the gallery.
Elon Musk, center, stands up to praise Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Senath)
The speech set the stage for Netanyahu to meet with President Biden at the White House on Thursday and former President Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday. The prime minister is also scheduled to meet privately with Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday.
Joel B. Pollack is executive editor of Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday The show airs Sunday nights from 7 to 10 p.m. (4 to 7 p.m. ET) on SiriusXM Patriot. He is the author of “Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” which is available for preorder on Amazon. He also wrote,Trumpian virtue: The lessons and legacy of Donald Trump’s presidency” is available on Audible. He is the 2018 recipient of the Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter. Joel Pollack.
