WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Israel’s war in Gaza and condemned American protesters in a scathing speech to Congress on Wednesday that sparked a boycott by several top Democratic lawmakers and drew thousands to the Capitol to condemn the war and the humanitarian crisis it has created.
Netanyahu vowed to continue the war until “total victory,” dashing hopes among some that the Israeli leader's visit to the United States could lead to some breakthrough in negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.
Speaking to applause from U.S. lawmakers and dead silence from others, Netanyahu sought to shore up U.S. support for his country's fight against Hamas and other Iranian-backed armed groups.
“America and Israel must stand together. When we stand together, something very simple happens: we win, they lose,” said Netanyahu, who wore a yellow pin in solidarity with Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
But the Israeli leader soon turned darker, mocking those protesting the war on college campuses and elsewhere in the United States, pointing to demonstrations taking place in the streets outside the Capitol. He called the protesters “useful idiots” for Israel's opponents.
Many members of Congress applauded him, but even leading Democratic Party figures responded with silence, refusing to stand and applaud him.
Freed former Hamas hostages and families of the hostages listened in the House chamber. Lawmakers from both parties stood to applaud the Israeli leader during the milder moments of the speech. Security escorted out demonstrators in the gallery who stood to display T-shirts with slogans calling on the leaders to make a deal that would end the conflict and free the hostages.
Netanyahu accused the many war protesters in the United States of siding with militants who he said killed children in the October 7 Hamas attack. “These protesters who are siding with them, they should be ashamed,” he said.
Netanyahu, often accused of meddling in U.S. politics for conservative and Republican causes, began his speech with praise for President Joe Biden. But he then went on to lavishly praise former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump “for everything he has done for Israel.”
With criticism mounting against him even in Israel, Netanyahu has sought to portray himself as a respected statesman by Israel’s most important ally. That task is complicated by Americans’ increasingly divided views on Israel and the war, which has emerged as a key issue in the U.S. presidential election.
On Wednesday, high steel barriers surrounded the Capitol and police used pepper spray as thousands of protesters gathered near the Capitol, 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 in the House. Netanyahu received a bipartisan standing ovation before speaking.
With this appearance, Netanyahu became 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 came immediately after him: Vice President Kamala Harris, who is president of the Senate, said a long-planned trip prevented her from attending.
The next Democrat in line, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, declined to participate, so Sen. Ben Cardin, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, served as “senator pro tempore” in her stead.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat who has relatives in the West Bank, sat in the House chamber with a keffiyeh, which she often wears, draped over her shoulders. Last year, Tlaib was censured for her strident criticism of Israel’s conduct in the war.
Republicans said the absence of Harris, the new Democratic frontrunner for the presidency, was a sign of disloyalty to an ally. Former President Donald Trump's running mate, J.D. Vance, also did not show up for Netanyahu's speech, citing the need to campaign.
Netanyahu will meet with President Joe Biden and Harris on Thursday, and Trump will meet at Mar-a-Lago on Friday.
Many in the growing crowds of demonstrators protested the killing of more than 39,000 Palestinians during the war. Others condemned Netanyahu's failure to free Israeli and American hostages taken by Hamas and other militants during the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war.
Support for Israel has long carried weight in U.S. politics. But the usual warm reception for Netanyahu’s visits has been undermined this time by political turmoil, including Trump’s assassination attempt and Biden’s decision not to seek another term.
Many Democrats who support Israel but have been critical of Netanyahu saw the speech as an attempt by Republicans to portray themselves as the more loyal party.
Many Democrats attended the speech despite their criticism of Netanyahu, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who called for new elections in Israel in a speech on the floor in March. Schumer, of New York, said at the time that Netanyahu had “lost his way” and was an obstacle to peace in the region amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
About 60 lawmakers met Wednesday with relatives of those taken hostage by Hamas, and expressed anger at Netanyahu. “Because by coming here, he risks becoming the problem himself, turning the humanitarian issue of the hostages into a political issue,” Maya Roman, who has had several family members taken hostage, told lawmakers.
The United States is Israel's most important ally, a supplier of weapons and a source of military aid. Netanyahu's visit is his first abroad since the war began, and it comes under 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 ICC.
The Biden administration says it wants to see Netanyahu focus his visit on helping it hammer out a deal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. A growing number of Israelis accuse Netanyahu of prolonging the war to avoid a likely fall from power when the conflict ends.
Netanyahu said his goals for the U.S. visit were to push for the release of hostages held by Hamas and other militants in Gaza, to build support for Israel's continued battle against the group, and to advocate for continued confrontation with Hezbollah in Lebanon and other Iranian-allied groups in the region.
Some Democrats have been wary of Netanyahu since he used a joint address to Congress in 2015 to denounce the pending nuclear deal between then-President Barack Obama and Iran.
Netanyahu used an appearance Wednesday morning to focus on Iran, its nuclear program and its network of armed allies. Iran is “behind the entire axis of terror” that threatens the United States and Israel, he said, speaking at a memorial for former Sen. Joe Lieberman.
