WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Israel's war on Gaza and condemned US protesters in a scathing speech to Congress on Wednesday that sparked a boycott by many top Democratic lawmakers and drew thousands to Capitol Hill to condemn the war and the humanitarian crisis it has created.
Netanyahu vowed to continue the war until “total victory,” dashing hopes by some that the Israeli leader's visit to the United States could bring progress in negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.
Speaking to applause from US lawmakers and stony silence from others, Netanyahu sought to bolster US support for his country's fight against Hamas and other Iran-backed armed groups.
“America and Israel must be together. When we stand together, something really 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 took a darker tone as he mocked those protesting the war on college campuses and elsewhere in the US, gesturing to demonstrations taking place in the streets outside the Capitol. He called the protesters “useful idiots” for Israel's opponents.
He drew cheers from many in Congress, but also silence from Democratic leaders who refused to stand up and apply.
Freed former Hamas hostages and hostage families listened in the House chamber. Lawmakers from both parties rose to applaud the Israeli leader during the softer moments of the speech. Security escorted protesters from the gallery who rose to display T-shirts with slogans demanding that leaders strike a deal to end the conflict and release hostages.
Netanyahu accused the many war protesters in the United States of standing with the militants he said killed children in the October 7 Hamas attack. “These protesters who are with him, they should be ashamed of themselves,” he said.
Netanyahu — who is frequently accused of meddling in American politics to favor conservative and Republican causes — began his remarks with praise for President Joe Biden. But he turned to praising former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump “for everything he's done for Israel.”
As criticism of him grows in Israel as well, Netanyahu has aimed to present himself as a statesman respected 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 US presidential election.
Tall steel barriers surrounded the Capitol on Wednesday and police deployed 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 arranged his speech on the House floor. Netanyahu received a bipartisan standing ovation before he spoke.
The appearance made Netanyahu the first foreign leader to address a joint session of Congress four times, surpassing Winston Churchill.
More than 50 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 Senate president, said a long-scheduled trip prevented her from attending.
The next Democrat in line, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, declined to attend, so Sen. Ben Cardin, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, served as “senator pro tempore” in her place.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat who has family in the West Bank, sat in the House chamber with a kefieh, which she often wears, draped over her shoulders. Tlaib was censured last year for her strident criticism of Israel's conduct in the war.
Republicans said the absence of Harris, the new Democratic front-runner for the presidency, was a sign of disloyalty to an ally. Former President Donald Trump's running mate JD Vance was also a no-show for Netanyahu's speech, citing the need to campaign.
Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden and Harris on Thursday and with Trump on Friday at Mar-a-Lago.
Many of the growing crowds of demonstrators protested the killing of more than 39,000 Palestinians in the war. Others condemned Netanyahu's failure to release Israeli and American hostages taken by Hamas and other militants during the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war.
Support for Israel has long carried political weight in US politics. But the usual warm reception for Netanyahu's visits has been tempered this time by political turmoil, including the assassination attempt against Trump and Biden's decision not to seek another term.
Many Democrats who support Israel but have criticized Netanyahu saw the address as a Republican effort to cast itself as the most 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 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 with relatives of those taken hostage by Hamas on Wednesday and expressed their anger at Netanyahu. “Because by coming here, he risks becoming the problem himself, turning the humanitarian issue of the hostages into a political one,” Maya Roman, who took several family members hostage, told lawmakers.
The United States is Israel's most important ally, arms supplier and source of military aid. Netanyahu's visit is his first abroad since the start of the war and 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 to finalize a cease-fire agreement and the release of the hostages. A growing number of Israelis accuse Netanyahu of prolonging the war to avoid a possible fall from power whenever the conflict ends.
Netanyahu said his goals for the U.S. visit were to press for the release of hostages held by Hamas and other militants in Gaza, build support for Israel's continued fight against the group, and support the continued confrontation with Hezbollah in Lebanon and other allies. Iranian. groups in the region.
Some Democrats are wary of Netanyahu because he used a 2015 joint address to Congress to denounce then-President Barack Obama's pending nuclear deal with 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 US and Israel, he said, speaking at a memorial for former senator Joe Lieberman.
