A fiery and combative speech. On Wednesday, July 24, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke for over an hour before senators and elected officials of the House of Representatives. The head of state continued to call for “total victory” in Gaza to the applause of the Republican camp. There was no question of the man nicknamed “Bibi” changing his line: his speech was hardline and free of self-criticism. “Netanyahu was seeking to use Congress to restore his declining political image,” commented the New York Times.
Note that dozens of Democrats did not show up, with some openly boycotting the speech. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris, the party’s presumptive presidential nominee who was campaigning in the Midwest, declined to preside as Senate president alongside President Mike Johnson, a break from tradition. Outside the Capitol, more than 5,000 protesters chanted their hatred of the Israeli leader. On Thursday, the Israeli prime minister is scheduled to meet in Washington with President Joe Biden, with whom he has had strained relations.
His call for the United States to “stay united” with Israel
Among the key topics discussed was the war waged by the Hebrew state in the Gaza Strip, triggered by the attack – which left 1,200 dead – by the Palestinian terrorist movement on October 7 in southern Israel. In almost ten months, the Israeli offensive on Palestinian territory has left nearly 40,000 dead, according to the latest figures from Hamas. In this context, Benjamin Netanyahu called for “remaining united” in the face of the threat from Hamas and Iran, vigorously defending the war waged in the Gaza Strip and condemning those who demonstrate against it.
Israel’s “victory” will also be that of the United States, the Israeli Prime Minister declared before a divided American Congress, after more than nine months of war in the Gaza Strip. “For the forces of civilization to triumph, America and Israel must remain united,” he said from the chamber of the House of Representatives, to the loud applause of Republican elected officials. “In the Middle East, Iran’s axis of terror defies the United States, Israel and our Arab friends. This is not a clash of civilizations, but a clash between barbarism and civilization,” added Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu ‘confident’ of successful efforts to free Hamas hostages
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “confident” about the outcome of negotiations to free the hostages held by Hamas in a speech before the US Congress. “I am confident that these efforts can be crowned with success,” the leader said, thanking President Joe Biden “for his tireless efforts” on behalf of the hostages. In the assembly, to listen to the Israeli leader, was Noa Argamani, a 26-year-old former hostage.
The Israeli prime minister’s remarks were described as a “total lie” by Hamas a few hours later, which considered that Benjamin Netanyahu was “the only one who thwarts all efforts to end the war and reach an agreement to free the prisoners.”
Netanyahu Links Israel’s Fate to That of the United States
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said that Israel’s “victory” would also be a victory for the United States. “We are not just protecting ourselves. We are protecting you.” […] “Our enemies are your enemies, our fight is your fight, and our victory will be your victory,” the leader said, adding that his country would do “everything necessary” to “restore security” to its northern border.
He condemned critics of the war as dupes aligning themselves with the world’s most dangerous actors or apologists for terrorists. Netanyahu has described the conflict as a proxy fight with Iran that must be won at all costs to protect both Israel and the United States. “When we fight Iran, we fight the most radical and deadly enemy of the United States,” he said. “We are not only protecting ourselves; we are protecting you,” he added, emphasizing the alliance that has existed since Israel’s founding.
Netanyahu talks about his future vision for Gaza
The Israeli prime minister spoke of his “vision for Gaza,” saying that “demilitarization and deradicalization” of the territory could “lead to a future of security and peace” with the support of a “civil administration.” “The day we defeat Hamas, a new Gaza can emerge,” he said, asking Washington for military aid to “accelerate the end of the war,” now in its tenth month. “Gaza must have a civil administration led by Palestinians who do not seek to destroy Israel,” Netanyahu also warned.
“Israel does not seek to reoccupy Gaza. But in the near future, we must maintain a strong security control there to prevent the resurgence of violence and ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel,” he said. In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Gaza Strip, evacuating Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territory, which Hamas took control of two years later. He has, however, said nothing about a Palestinian state, which he fiercely opposes.
Netanyahu pays vibrant tribute to Trump
The Israeli Prime Minister paid a vibrant tribute to Donald Trump in his speech. “I want to thank President Trump for everything he has done for Israel,” the leader said, while denouncing the “despicable” assassination attempt that targeted the Republican candidate. Benjamin Netanyahu also thanked Democratic President Joe Biden for “his tireless efforts on behalf of the hostages.” On Friday, July 26, Netanyahu will travel to Florida at the invitation of Donald Trump. The two men say they get along wonderfully.