As part of his visit to the United States this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Congress on Wednesday, as we wrote. He addressed a joint session of the two chambers and raised many issues, including the war against the terrorist group Hamas.
An unfortunate backdrop to the prime minister’s visit was the pro-Hamas protests outside and inside the Capitol that began on Tuesday. There were some clashes with police and pepper spray had to be used to restore order. In another incident, rioters attempted to deface the US flag.
We have a normal, robust first world country here pic.twitter.com/wCre2wigqq
— Kevin McMahon (@Kevin__McMahon) July 24, 2024
DC: Pro-Hamas protesters turn violent outside Capitol as Prime Minister Netanyahu speaks
Netanyahu spoke about these violent protesters in his speech, as my colleague Margaret Clark wrote:
But Netanyahu, the bulldog of Israel that he is, had something special just for her:
“Well, I have a message for these protesters: If the tyrants of Tehran who hang gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair praise, promote and fund you, you have officially become Iran’s USEFUL IDIOTS!”
“Iran’s useful idiots!” Netanyahu does not hold back when confronting protesters on home soil
He also mentioned that former President Donald Trump was a good friend of Israel during his time in office:
Netanyahu thanks former President Trump in his address to Congress:
“I want to thank President Trump for everything he has done for Israel, from recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights to opposing Iranian aggression to recognizing Jerusalem as our capital and … pic.twitter.com/RYWP56utth
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 24, 2024
After referring to the Abraham Accords as the “Abraham Alliance” and emphasizing the historic unity they represented, he said, “I want to thank President Trump for brokering the historic Abraham Accords,” and then paused as he received rousing applause from many in the audience.
He also spoke about the assassination attempt on Trump on July 13, calling it a “heinous attack on American democracy”:
Like the Americans, the Israelis were relieved that President Trump had emerged unscathed from this vile attack on them, this vile attack on American democracy.
He added: “There is no place for political violence in democracies!” This statement also received hot applause. Netanyahu will meet the Republican presidential candidate on Friday at his home in Mar-a-Lago.
And as a sign of unity, elsewhere in his remarks he praised Biden as a long-standing ally of his country who has stood together for 50 years:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanks President Biden for his decades-long friendship with Israel and announces that he calls himself a “proud Irish-American Zionist.” pic.twitter.com/bjTAyKHhz7
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 24, 2024
“For the forces of civilization to triumph, America and Israel must stand together,” he said, thanking President Biden for “half a century of friendship with Israel.”
His mention of President Biden seems earnest, which also says something about his character. This enduring affection is clear, despite the fact that their meeting scheduled for Tuesday was canceled due to Biden’s illness:
Netanyahu comes to Washington – but meeting with Biden is said to have been cancelled
But if you look at the image in this story, you’ll notice something else that’s different from the massive speeches given before a joint session of Congress: Behind the Israeli prime minister is House Speaker Mike Johnson, but the Senate president is absent without permission. (Instead, we see Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin (D-Md.).)
Vice President Kamala Harris joined, as we previously wrote, About half of the Democrats in the House of Representatives and Senate in boycotting the speech of the leader of one of our nation’s closest allies — more than in abandoning his 2015 speech during the Obama administration. It is disgraceful that we have to suffer the Democrats’ behavior in this way. Will Harris snub other American allies if, God forbid, she becomes president in the election? It is a bad image to say the least.
You can watch the full speech here.
Related:
Civilization or barbarism: the left forces you to choose a side
It is depressed, but Benjamin Netanyahu understands America better than some Americans
