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Netanyahu’s Hill speech forcefully rebuts Israel’s detractors, draws polarized response

The hour-long address drew frequent applause from those who attended, but a sizable number of Democrats either boycotted or remained seated

Kent Nishimura/Getty Images

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress in the chamber of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on July 24, 2024 in Washington, D.C.

In his fourth address to Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an aggressive case to the U.S. and the world in defense of Israel’s operations in Gaza, while also offering appreciation to President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump for their support for Israel.

While the hour-long speech received frequent applause from the lawmakers in attendance, about 120 congressional Democrats and a handful of Republicans were absent from the address, a significant boycott of a speech by a foreign leader. In the chamber, many Democrats remained seated or declined to applaud for significant portions of the speech.

Much of the speech was dedicated to defending Israel from attacks and criticism it has faced on the world stage since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks, repeating arguments often invoked by the Jewish state and its allies.

“Just as malicious lies were leveled at the Jewish people, now they’re being leveled at the Jewish state… meant to delegitimize Israel to demonize the Jewish state and to demonize Jews everywhere,” Netanyahu said.

He called criticism from the International Criminal Court “nonsense,” highlighting that Israel had allowed half a million tons of food into Gaza, and blaming Hamas theft for any food shortages inside Gaza.

And, responding to claims by the ICC’s prosecutor that Israel has deliberately targeted civilians, Netanyahu said, “What in God’s green earth is he talking about?” He warned that if the ICC’s charges were allowed to stand, America and other democracies would next be targeted and constrained by the international court.

He also condemned, in harsh terms, the anti-Israel protesters seen on college campuses and elsewhere in the country. Netanyahu described the protesters as standing in solidarity with “evil” and with rapists and murderers, adding that they should be “ashamed of themselves.” Referencing a recent U.S. intelligence assessment saying that Iran was funding the protests, he described the demonstrators as “useful idiots” for Iran.

A minority of Democrats applauded that line.

Netanyahu also referenced the disastrous hearing with three college presidents late last year, where each declined to say that calling for the genocide of Jews would violate their policies, noting that he is an alumnus of one of the schools, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“They said it depends on the context. Let me give these befuddled academics a little context. Antisemitism is the world’s oldest hatred,” he said. “For centuries the massacre of Jews was always preceded by wild accusations”

Netanyahu largely avoided direct attacks on Biden and congressional Democrats, although he did take some veiled shots, particularly over criticism of Israel’s plans to operate in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. He said that there had been almost no civilian casualties in Rafah, citing IDF personnel, adding that Israel successfully removed civilians from the combat zone, something, he noted, many critics said was impossible.

He thanked the U.S. for its support during the war, including intelligence and joint weapons development. He also urged the U.S. to fast-track aid, which he said would allow Israel to finish the war in Gaza more quickly and prevent a broader escalation of the conflict — perhaps a veiled shot at the administration’s withholding of certain arms transfers. He said that providing aid faster would help bring the war to an end more quickly.

The speech included several tokens to Trump, including condemnation of the assassination attempt on the former president’s life earlier this month and political violence generally, a line that received bipartisan support. He also praised Trump for brokering the Abraham Accords, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

He repeatedly sought to frame Israel and the U.S. as fighting the same enemy in Iran, describing Israel as the vanguard and bulwark in a fight for “our common civilization,” as well as a “loyal friend and steadfast partner” to the U.S.

“If you remember one thing from this speech, remember this: Our enemies are your enemies, our fight is your fight, and our victory will be your victory,” Netanyahu said.

He added, “I came here today to say thank you, America, for your support and solidarity,” calling the U.S. a “beacon of liberty” and emphasizing the durability of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Netanyahu also repeatedly professed his intention to fight on until full victory over Hamas. 

“As Israel’s prime minister I promise you this, no matter how long it takes, Israel will not relent. Israel will not bend. We will fight to defend our people, we will fight until victory…victory of good over evil,” he said.

In his remarks, Netanyahu also sketched out the broad outlines of a plan for the day after the war in Gaza, a key demand from U.S. leaders and lawmakers in recent months. 

Broadly, Netanyahu said, he seeks a demilitarized and deradicalized Gaza, adding that Israel does not seek to resettle Gaza but will “retain overriding security control” of the enclave. 

He said that the Strip should have a “civilian administration run by Palestinians who don’t seek to destroy Israel” but didn’t specify who would make up such an administration — failing to address one of the thorniest disagreements between the U.S. and Israel over post-war Gaza. But the remark elicited applause from many Democrats.

He said Israel’s Arab partners would also have a role to play in postwar Gaza.

Netanyahu also laid out a vision for broader Middle East security, which he called the Abraham Alliance, consisting of a security partnership to counter Iran among those countries with which Israel has or will make peace. He described the interception of Iran’s April attack on Israel — carried out with the cooperation of many countries — as a preview of that alliance, and praised Biden for bringing together that response, eliciting support from many Democrats who otherwise remained stoic.

“He came to Israel to stand with us during our darkest hour, a visit that will never be forgotten,” Netanyahu said of the president.

The speech went by largely without the anticipated disruptions. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) attended the speech and, at points, held up a sign reading “guilty of genocide” and “war criminal,” sometimes shaking her head or mouthing responses to Netanyahu, but made no attempt to interrupt the speech. She was told by staff at several points to put the sign down.

A handful of hostage family members — including Carmit Palty Katzir, daughter of Hanna Katzir, who was released, and the sister of Elad Katzir, who died in captivity — wearing yellow “seal the deal now” shirts were quietly removed from the chamber during the speech and arrested. When Netanyahu finished his speech, one guest shouted something at Netanyahu and was removed.

Netanyahu began the speech with largely non-controversial sentiments, speaking about the hostages and their families and heroes of Oct. 7, including Israeli soldiers in the audience, as well as offering thanks to Biden for his “tireless efforts” supporting the hostages.

He did not speak at length, however, about the deal in the works to free additional hostages from Gaza in exchange for a cease-fire, as many Democrats had hoped he would. 

His repeated pledges to continue the fight until victory are also likely to frustrate the families of hostages, who have described that goal as ill-defined and argued he should prioritize the hostages’ freedom over any military concerns.

In addition to hostage families, Netanyahu’s guests included Elon Musk, Duty Free America owner Simon Falic, and real estate developer Spencer Partridge, who loaned Netanyahu funds for his legal defense.

Protests outside the building grew violent at points, with police deploying tear gas and demonstrators stole and lit on fire the U.S. flags outside D.C.’s Union Station and vandalized the exterior. “Hamas is coming” was spray painted on the statue that sits prominently outside the D.C. train station. 

But police kept them at a distance from the Capitol building and their activities did not impact the speech.

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