Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have thanked President Joe Biden for his support during his joint address to Congress, but his message was far from what the president has been advocating for in the bloody conflict in Gaza.
During his nearly 53-minute address, Netanyahu did not once mention the possibility of a “cease-fire” agreement, which Biden’s administration has helped negotiate and has publicly advocated for, nor did he take seriously U.S. concerns around civilian deaths.
Instead, he delivered a more aggressive message: Israel will continue to fight Gaza until the bitter end. He scolded campus protesters and the heads of elite universities and emphasized that the U.S.’s fate is firmly tied to the outcome of the war.
“The war could end tomorrow if Hamas surrenders, disarms and returns all the hostages. But if they don’t, Israel will fight until we destroy Hamas’ military capabilities and its rule in Gaza and bring all our hostages home. That’s what total victory means, and we will settle for nothing less,” Netanyahu said.
It was everything Republicans were hoping for, and left pro-Israel, anti-Netanyahu Democrats disappointed.
“He tried to say that anyone who doesn’t support his approach is somehow supporting Hamas, which I think is very unfortunate,” Sen. Debbie Stabenow said. “I’m a strong supporter of Israel, always have been and that’s why I’m here, but I’m not a fan of Netanyahu.”
Of the Democrats who did attend Netanyahu’s speech, some were hoping for a more meaningful explanation of a deal to release Israeli and American hostages in Gaza.
“It would have been a fine speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee,” Rep. Jamie Raskin said. “Basically, you had one narcissistic, indicted right-wing autocrat coming over here to speak to the followers of another narcissistic right-wing autocrat.”
“I did not see any real emphasis on a plan to get the hostages back home,” Raskin added. “I did not have high expectations, and my expectations were met.”
Former Democratic leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi called it “by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary” in a post on X after the address.
“Many of us who love Israel spent time today listening to Israeli citizens whose families have suffered in the wake of the October 7th Hamas terror attack and kidnappings,” the post continued. “These families are asking for a ceasefire deal that will bring the hostages home — and we hope the Prime Minister would spend his time achieving that goal.”
Several Democrats who have opposed Israel’s conduct in Gaza boycotted the event, leaving empty seats on their side of the aisle. But those who did attend applauded and stood for many of Netanyahu’s lines, particularly when he made any mention of the need to release hostages. Sen. John Fetterman, Netanyahu’s strongest Democratic ally in the Senate, was seated in the front row next to Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, both of whom were often standing alongside Republicans in praise of Netanyahu’s remarks.
Sen. Mark Kelly, who is reportedly under consideration to be Kamala Harris’ running mate, applauded when Netanyahu said protesters against the war may be “Iran’s useful idiots.”
The exception was Rep. Rashida Tlaib, wearing a keffiyeh, who remained seated the entire time. Throughout the remarks, Tlaib held a sign that read “war criminal” on one side and “guilty of genocide” on the other.
Tlaib wasn’t the only person to visibly protest Netanyahu’s speech. Some visitors in galleries looking over the House floor revealed shirts saying, “Seal the deal NOW,” and were eventually arrested by Capitol Police.
Meanwhile, Republicans stood at every opportunity to applaud Netanyahu, particularly when the prime minister thanked former President Donald Trump for his alliance with Israel. They also broke out into “USA” chants.
During his remarks, Netanyahu said Israel’s military should be “commended” for its conduct in Gaza and explicitly called reports of targeted civilian deaths lies and Hamas propaganda. Nearly 40,000 civilians, most of whom are women and children, have died in Gaza since Israel began its offensive.
The prime minister also noted that Israel “must maintain” overriding security control in Gaza to prevent a resurgence of Hamas terror and frequently pointed to the U.S.-Israel alliance, tying Israel’s fate to the U.S.
“If Israel’s hands are tied, America is next. The ability of all democracies to fight terrorism will be imperiled,” he said, referring to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against Netanyahu and Hamas leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“As Israel’s prime minister, I promise you this: No matter how long it takes, no matter how difficult the road ahead, Israel will not relent, Israel will not bend. We will defend our land, we will defend our people, we will fight until we achieve victory,” he said.
Netanyahu also placed heavy emphasis on Iran. “When Israel fights Hamas, we’re fighting Iran. When we’re fighting Hezbollah, we’re fighting Iran. When we’re fighting the Houthis, we’re fighting Iran,” he said.
“When we’re fighting Iran, we’re fighting the most radical and murderous enemy of the United States of America.”
At the end of his speech, two people in the gallery shouted, “Remember the hostages,” and were quickly detained.
In total, the Capitol Police said it arrested six guests from within the House chamber for disorderly conduct during Netanyahu’s remarks. One of the guests arrested was Carmit Palty Katzir, who, according to Axios, is a family member of hostages taken on Oct. 7.
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Katherine Swartz and John T. Seward are NOTUS reporters and Allbritton Journalism Institute fellows.