Washington: Drumming up support for the war in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 24 delivered his fourth address to a joint session of the US Congress, where he said that “for the forces of civilization to triumph, America and Israel must stand together".
Netanyahu began his speech by thanking congressional leaders and lawmakers for the “profound” honor of addressing Congress. He spoke, to repeated applause, and thanked US President Joe Biden for his steadfast support and former President Donald Trump for brokering the Abrahamic Accords between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain in 2020.
Reaching out to both Republicans and Democrats, Netanyahu asserted that he was confident of securing the release of all hostages from Hamas's captivity. "Give us the tools and we will finish the job," he said.
"As we speak, we're actively engaged in intensive efforts to secure their release," Netanyahu said in the presence of a recently freed hostage who was in the visitors' gallery with the Prime Minister's wife, Sarah Netanyahu. Other guests of Prime Minister Netanyahu in the gallery were Israeli military personnel who fought the Hamas terrorists in the October 7 attack.
Netanyahu sought to explain to the lawmakers that Israel's war with Hamas is not just Israel's war. "My friends, if you remember one thing, one thing from this speech, remember this... Our enemies are your enemies. Our fight is your fight. And our victory will be your victory."
He defended the war in Gaza and said: “If there are Palestinians in Gaza who aren't getting enough food, it's not because Israel is blocking it, it's because Hamas is stealing it.”
Boycotting the address
More than 30 members of Congress skipped the meeting in protest and thousands of people protested against Netanyahu's visit outside the US Congress. A BBC report said that thousands had amassed in the streets of Washington DC and they blew whistles and banged drums, waved flags, and yelled chants.
Vice President Kamala Harris was absent from the address, citing a scheduling conflict with a convention in Indianapolis. Among Indian-American lawmakers, Pramila Jayapal, Ami Bera and Ro Khanna had announced their plans to skip the address.
