Inside the chamber at Netanyahu’s address to Congress
Who stood, who remained seated — and the bold-face names there to take it all in

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 24: Elon Musk arrives for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu address to a joint meeting of Congress in the chamber of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on July 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. Netanyahu’s visit occurs as the Israel-Hamas war reaches nearly ten months. A handful of Senate and House Democrats boycotted the remarks over Israel’s treatment of Palestine. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Prominent pro-Israel figures and Jewish Americans gathered in the nation’s capital on Wednesday to watch Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deliver his address to a joint session of Congress.
Inside the chamber, Netanyahu’s remarks received a mixed, and often tepid, response from congressional Democrats.
Much of the Democratic side of the crowd remained seated for significant parts of the speech, often including the top House Democratic leaders, though they applauded at various points. Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), sitting with other lawmakers near the back of the chamber, were among those who often remained unresponsive to Netanyahu’s remarks.
When Netanyahu entered the chamber, most of the Democratic side of the room stood but many withheld their applause, some sat down part way through the ovation, while Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) remained seated for Netanyahu’s entire entrance.
Kaptur was among the first to stand, however, to applaud Netanyahu’s outline for his plan for postwar Gaza.
A group of reliably pro-Israel Jewish Democrats were among those who rose most frequently on the Democratic side in support of the Israeli leader.
Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) began the speech sitting next to Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), but moved away after she took out a protest sign. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) later came over to speak to Tlaib.
When Netanyahu finished speaking, Democrats mostly filed out of the chamber quickly, declining to stick around to speak with the prime minister, as some Republicans did.
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) read a book, The Netanyahu Years, an examination of Netanyahu’s career, as the House waited for Netanyahu to enter the chamber.
Noa Argamani, who was rescued by the Israeli military in June after spending eight months in Hamas captivity, received a standing ovation during the address. Argamani and her father were seated in the gallery next to Israel’s first lady, Sara Netanyahu. Dozens of family members of hostages — both rescued and still being held — were also in attendance, including Yadi and Yael Alexander, parents of Edan Alexander; Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin; and Ditza Or, mother of Avinatan Or, who was seated next to Yair Netanyahu, the prime minister’s son. Several injured IDF soldiers also received standing ovations.
American and Israeli politicians in the crowd included U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew; Israel’s Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan and Consul General of Israel in New York Ofir Akunis.
Notable VIPs in the audience included tech billionaire Elon Musk, who was spotted sitting with British conservative commentator Douglas Murray; Elliott Management’s Paul Singer and his partner Terry Kassel; conservative media personality Mark Levin and Julie Strauss Levin; Aryeh Lightstone, senior adviser to Ambassador David Friedman; Republican Jewish Coalition board member Eric Levine; and former Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
Major Jewish leaders in the audience included AIPAC CEO Howard Kohr; AIPAC Vice CEO Elliot Brandt; American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch, who sat on the House floor with former colleagues; Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt; Council of Presidents CEO William Daroff; Jewish Federations of North America CEO Eric Fingerhut; Nathan Diament, executive director of public policy for the Orthodox Union; Republican Jewish Coalition CEO Matt Brooks; RJC Chairman Norm Coleman; Jewish Democratic Coalition of America CEO Halie Soifer; Rabbi Levi Shemtov; Rabbi Yuda Drizin, the Chabad rabbi at Columbia University; Elan Carr, the Trump administration’s antisemitism envoy; Sander Gerber, the architect of the Taylor Force Act; American Zionist Movement Executive Director Herbert Block; National Council of Jewish Women CEO Sheila Katz; and Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
Others in attendance included former AIPAC presidents Robert Cohen, Lillian Pinkus, Lee Rosenberg, and Howard Friedman; uberlobbyist Norman Brownstein; Democratic Majority for Israel co-chair Todd Richman; Phil Darivoff; Yitz Applbaum; Yana Lukeman; Rivka Kidron, the co-founder of Passages; Australian casino mogul James Packer; Hudson Institute senior fellow Michael Doran; Matt Lester; Jeff Schostak; Sylvia Strauss; Simon Falic, the chair of Duty Free America, and Jana Falic; Salo Zelermyer of Valero Energy; Richard and Phyllis Heideman; and Republican lobbyist Jeff Miller.
More than 80 Democrats attended an event earlier in the day hosted by Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami and other lawmakers with hostage families, who were deeply critical of Netanyahu. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who boycotted the speech, was among those who spoke.
In brief remarks at the event, Pelosi said that she hopes Netanyahu will “open his eyes” and make a deal to release the hostages. Zahiro Shahar Mor, whose uncle Avraham Munder is held captive by Hamas, and another family member, Roee Munder, was murdered on Oct. 7, called for an immediate cease-fire and to cut funding for the Israeli military.
Police arrested three people from the gallery for displaying shirts during the address that said “Seal the deal now.” Around 20 attended a counter-programming event hosted by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and several liberal and progressive groups.