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In a speech to US politicians, the Israeli prime minister said the war against Hamas was a “war between civilization and barbarism” and received loud applause
prime minister Israel, Benjamin Netanyahudefending his actions in the Gaza Strip war No words U.S. Congress The prime minister spent about 40 minutes on Wednesday, 24, framing the war narrative as “civilization versus barbarism,” saying Israel was acting in self-defense and thanking American politicians for their support for the war. He received standing ovations for most of the time.
The speech came during Netanyahu’s visit to the United States, his first trip abroad since the war in the Gaza Strip broke out on October 6 last year. Dozens of people remain hostages of Hamas during the nine-month conflict, and nearly 40,000 Palestinians, mostly children and women, have died in Israeli attacks.
The prime minister focused on the leadership between Israel and the United States, avoiding touching on US domestic politics, praising Joe Biden and Donald Trump and putting aside his differences with them. He did not mention Vice President Kamala Harris, who he will meet this Thursday to discuss the future of the conflict and who is running for president.
Netanyahu devoted much of his speech to arguing that the United States and Israel share a common cause in the Middle East, with Iran as its greatest enemy and democracy as its defense. “Our enemies are your enemies,” he said. “Our victory will also be your victory.”
The prime minister also called on the United States to provide more military aid to Israel, highlighting Israel’s role at other times in providing advanced weapons for “protecting American soldiers” and providing intelligence about the Middle East. “We help keep American soldiers on the ground (in the Middle East) while protecting our common interests,” he said.
He then stressed the need to speed up the weapons delivery: “Give us the tools faster and we will do the job faster.” There was no direct mention of the ceasefire plan and hostage release agreement in his speech.
Despite differences with the Biden administration during the Gaza war, Netanyahu did not criticize the president. Instead, he praised him for his quick response in support of Israel after the Hamas attack. Donald Trump was praised again, as he recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel during his administration and moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, something that the international community, including the United Nations, has never recognized.
The Israeli prime minister began his speech by mentioning Biden, thanking him for cooperating with Israel in the release of hostages and military support, sending two aircraft carriers. “He came to Israel and was with us in our darkest hour,” he declared. He then thanked the president for being a “proud Irish-American Zionist.”
Bibi also specifically criticized the International Criminal Court in his speech, which issued an arrest warrant for him in May for war crimes in Gaza, such as attacks on civilians and humanitarian convoys. “They are trying to tie Israel’s hands,” he declared, before suggesting that the next target could be the United States. Criticism also targeted allegations of genocide.
Finally, the prime minister also spoke about Israel’s post-war plans. He reiterated that he had no plans to occupy the Gaza Strip and that “a new Gaza might emerge,” but did not provide further details.
Quotes about hostages and soldiers
Netanyahu, who was accompanied by freed hostages and Israeli soldiers, wore a brooch with a yellow bow on his lapel, a symbol of the hostage liberation movement in the Gaza Strip. He began his speech by introducing the Israelis who accompanied him, including soldiers of Ethiopian descent and from the Bedouin community, as heroes. “These are Israeli soldiers, stubborn and fearless,” he said.
Speaking of hostages, he mentioned Noa Argamani, who was recently released and is with him in the United States, as well as Americans still held captive by Hamas whose families were in attendance.
The speech received warm applause from the politicians present. Despite the applause, the support was not unconditional. During one of the speech excerpts, Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, put up a sign that read “war criminal” and “genocide” in protest of Netanyahu. The move drew boos from Netanyahu’s supporters, but they did not mention the sign.
protest
Outside, demonstrators staged a series of protests one block from the Capitol that expanded to four blocks in the surrounding area, the newspaper reported. New York TimesPolice in riot gear closely followed the protesters throughout the process. Protesters walked along the streets of the Capitol, chanting “Free Palestine from the river to the sea.”
Netanyahu received one of his longest greetings when he delegitimized the protesters without evidence, calling them “useful idiots” funded by Tehran. There is no evidence that the protests are funded by the Iranian government.
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