Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed “complete victory” against Hamas and denounced US opponents of the war in Gaza in a fiery speech to Congress on Wednesday that was boycotted by dozens of Democratic lawmakers and parliamentarians. Thousands of people protested demanding an end to the war and the humanitarian crisis it causes.
Netanyahu’s pugnacious speech offered no indication that his visit to the United States — his first foreign trip since the war began — could bring some progress to months of U.S.-led mediation for a ceasefire and the release of hostages, as the Biden administration has hoped.
Speaking for nearly an hour amid sustained applause from US lawmakers and silence from several prominent Democrats in the House, Netanyahu said the US shares a common interest in his country’s fight against Hamas and other Iran-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 expressing solidarity with Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
But the Israeli leader soon struck a darker tone and mocked those protesting the war on college campuses and elsewhere in the US, pointing to street demonstrations outside the Capitol. He called the protesters “useful idiots” for Israel’s opponents.
Families of some of the hostages released from Gaza and those still being held listened in the House chamber as security cleared away protesters in the gallery who stood to display T-shirts bearing slogans demanding an end to the war and the release of the remaining hostages.
One member, Representative Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American serving in Congress, took it a step further, holding a sign that read “war criminal” on one side and “guilty of genocide” on the other. Tlaib has been one of Netanyahu’s harshest critics in Congress and has been denounced for her comments against last year’s Israel-Hamas war, which killed more than 39,000 people in Gaza.
She has relatives on the West Bank, and she represents a district in Michigan where many Palestinian Americans live.
Netanyahu made little or no mention of efforts by the United States and Arab allies to end the fighting and of the release of live hostages held by Hamas-led militants in the October 7 attack that started the war. He accused countless war protesters in the United States of standing with militants who he said killed children in the October 7 Hamas attack.
He said, “The protesters who are standing with him should be ashamed.”
Netanyahu – who is often accused of wading into US politics in favour of conservative and Republican causes – began his speech by praising President Joe Biden. But he also praised former president and current presidential contender Donald Trump “for everything he has done for Israel.”
Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Biden and Harris on Thursday and Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday.
Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, said Netanyahu’s speech was aimed at Trump’s Republican Party.
“We heard nothing about meaningful progress toward a bilateral ceasefire in exchange for hostages. We heard nothing about peace. We heard nothing about the two-state solution, which has been American foreign policy for decades,” he said.
Speaking during Israel’s prime evening time slot, Netanyahu also had an eye on his homegrown audience. Netanyahu, whose popularity has fallen from pre-war levels, aimed to portray himself as a statesman respected by Israel’s most important ally and welcomed in the corridors of Washington. That task has been complicated by Americans’ sharply divided views on Israel and the war, which has emerged as a key issue in the U.S. presidential election.
High steel barricades were erected around the Capitol on Wednesday and police used pepper spray as thousands of protesters rallied, denouncing Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and calling for a ceasefire.
With this appearance, Netanyahu became the first foreign leader to address a joint meeting of Congress four times, surpassing Winston Churchill.
House Speaker Mike Johnson gave Netanyahu a warm welcome. More than 60 Democrats and political independent Bernie Sanders boycotted Netanyahu’s speech. The most notable absence was right behind him: Vice President Kamala Harris, who serves as president of the Senate, said she was unable to attend because of a long-scheduled trip.
The next Democrat, Senator Patty Murray of Washington, declined to attend, so Senator Ben Cardin, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, served as “Senator Pro Tempore” in her place.
Trump’s fellow senator JD Vance also did not attend Netanyahu’s speech, citing the need to campaign.
Crowds of demonstrators near the Capitol protested the number of civilians killed in the war. Others denounced Netanyahu’s inability to free Israeli and American hostages taken by Hamas and other militants during the October 7 attack that started the war.
Support for Israel has long held political significance in US politics. But while Netanyahu’s visits are always warmly received, this time it has been tempered by political turmoil, including Trump’s assassination attempt and Biden’s decision not to seek a second term.
Many Democrats who support Israel but have been critical of Netanyahu saw the address as an attempt by Republicans to present themselves as the most loyal party.
Several Democrats attended the address despite criticizing Netanyahu, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who called for new elections in Israel in a speech in March. Schumer, of New York, said then that Netanyahu had “lost his way” and was an obstacle to peace in the region amid a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The United States is Israel’s most important ally, arms supplier and source of military aid. The Biden administration had said it wanted Netanyahu to focus his visit on helping to secure a deal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. A growing number of Israelis accuse Netanyahu of prolonging the war to avoid the possibility of being forced out of power when the conflict ends.
Netanyahu’s visit came in the shadow of an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes by Israel against Palestinians. The United States does not recognise the ICC.