Updated July 24, 2024 at 19:10 PM ET
In an address to Congress Wednesday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the U.S. to stand with Israel and vowed that the country would do "whatever it must" to defeat Hamas and return the remaining hostages from Gaza.
Netanyahu was greeted with extensive applause in the House chamber in the U.S. Capitol, even as dozens of Democratic lawmakers boycotted the speech over humanitarian concerns or in protest of his leadership. He urged Congress to fast-track additional military aid as the war in Gaza nears the 10-month mark.
"When we stand together, something very simple happens: We win, they lose," Netanyahu said. "And my friends, I came to assure you today of one thing: We will win.”
Netanyahu faces a long list of critics over the war against Hamas in Gaza, including advocates concerned about the civilian death toll and fellow Israelis demanding an immediate deal to bring the remaining hostages home.
He spoke defiantly as he worked to shore up political support from Israel's most important ally while many nations work to isolate the country on the world stage. During his remarks, crowds gathered around Washington protesting the war.
On his flight to Washington on Monday, Netanyahu had a baseball cap emblazoned with the words "Total Victory" — which sums up his belief that Hamas must be completely destroyed in Gaza.
While President Biden supports Israel's war aims, he's also pushing for a cease-fire that's been under discussion for months. There's no sign of an imminent breakthrough, although Netanyahu is sending Israeli negotiators back to Qatar for another round of talks after Biden and Netanyahu meet on Thursday.
In addition to his speech on Capitol Hill, Netanyahu is expected to meet separately with Biden on Thursday and Vice President Harris, and with former President Donald Trump on Friday. Yet all these meetings could come with sticking points.
Biden is frustrated with the way Israel is prosecuting the war, particularly when it comes to the high Palestinian civilian death toll. Gaza's Ministry of Health said recently the number of Palestinians killed in the territory has surpassed 39,000. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and militants, and says women and children account for well over half of the dead.
On the rare occasions when foreign leaders address the U.S. Congress, the U.S. vice president traditionally sits behind the speaker. However, Harris traveled to Indianapolis on Wednesday for a previously scheduled trip. She is expected to meet Thursday with Netanyahu. The vice president's public statements on the Israel-Hamas war have been in line with Biden's, and it's not yet clear whether she might adjust her own position if she becomes the Democratic presidential nominee.
Netanyahu says he “will not rest” until remaining hostages are freed
The speech comes at a critical moment for Netanyahu. The International Criminal Court has accused him of war crimes and crimes against humanity, something he vehemently denies.
Referencing the ICC ruling during his remarks, Netanyahu said: “Israel will always defend itself.”
Netanyahu said he “will not rest” until the remaining 120 hostages have been freed.
“I pledge to you and to all the bereaved families of Israel, some of whom are in this hall today, the sacrifice of your loved ones will not be in vain,” Netanyahu said. “It will not be in vain because, for Israel, ‘never again’ must never be an empty promise. It must always remain a sacred vow. And after October 7, ‘never again’ is now.”
Seated next to Netanyahu's wife in the chamber was Noa Argamani, who was taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7 from the Nova music festival, and her father. Argamani was rescued by the IDF in June along with three other hostages. She received two standing ovations.
Netanyahu thanked Biden for his efforts to free the hostages, which have been ongoing for months. Netanyahu laid the blame for the violence in the Middle East squarely at the feet of Iran and he vowed to restore security to Israel’s northern border.
Dozens of Democrats boycott
The events of the last ten days — including an assassination attempt on Trump, the Republican convention, and Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race and endorse Harris — have dominated the news cycles and left less political oxygen on Capitol Hill for concerns about how Netanyahu's speech could highlight divides among Democrats when it comes to U.S.-Israel policy.
There were notable absences in the chamber when Netanyahu delivered his address. Dozens of Democratic lawmakers, including Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray, D-Wash., Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and former speaker Nancy Pelosi sat out the speech.
At points throughout Netanyahu’s speech, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., held a small sign that said "war criminal" on one side and "guilty of genocide."
“I personally will not be attending. I think that to come before the United States Congress is a tremendous honor. It's indicative of a functional working relationship, and personally, I don't believe that the prime minister has lived up to that,” New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told NPR ahead of the speech. “I have extraordinary concerns and I don't want to affirm or legitimize this with my presence.”
Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin said for those wary of attending the speech, there’s advantages and disadvantages to going.
“To me, it's a lot like whether or not to go to the State of the Union back when Donald Trump was president. I mean, the difficult part is that you're like a jack in the box, popping up and down, because the speeches are written in such a way that either you clap or you're a Martian,” he told NPR on Tuesday. “That's the problem with going. But the problem with not going is that you don't see what's happening and you're not able to immediately engage with it and respond to it.”
The phrase many Democrats kept repeating in the lead-up to Wednesday’s speech was “members have to do what members feel is right.”
“That’s what democracy’s about,” said New York Rep. Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “You do what you think is the right thing for you to do. I will be in the audience listening to the prime minister — I think that’s what my responsibility is.”
Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz said he thinks it’s a “mistake” for members to boycott the speech.
“You don't have to support a particular leader, but you should support a country — a country is bigger than a particular leader,” he said. “When Donald Trump was president, even if you disagreed with him, you didn't boycott America.”
North Carolina Rep. Kathy Manning pointed out that even with some defections, the actions of Congress speak to broad backing for Israel.
“I don't think it makes that big of a difference,” she said. “There is strong bipartisan support of the state of Israel. We've seen it with all the votes that have taken place and we've seen it with the supplemental funding.”
In April, the House voted to allocate $26 billion in aid for Israel, setting up a vote for final passage. Thirty-seven Democrats voted against the aid.
Netanyahu's relationship with Trump and Biden
Meanwhile, the Trump-Netanyahu relationship soured after the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Netanyahu recognized Biden as the winner, a move that angered Trump, who falsely claims the balloting was rigged against him.
Biden remains a strong supporter of Israel, and the U.S. continues to supply its ally with weapons, though the U.S. president has distanced himself somewhat from Netanyahu.
Biden still talks about backing Israel a half-century ago during its war against Egypt and Syria in 1973. This was Biden’s first year in the Senate, and that conflict helped shape his views on the Middle East.
But during his final months in office, Biden is expected to keep pressing for a truce in Gaza, and he also wants to see an Israeli plan for the territory after the fighting stops. Israel says Hamas must never be allowed to rule Gaza again, but has not yet offered a plan on who might run the territory in the future.
Biden, meanwhile, wants to keep the fighting in the wider region from escalating.
Copyright 2024 NPR
