In a historic speech on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the protesters as he urged solidarity between his nation and the US in light of the US Congress’s division over his military action in Gaza.
Netanyahu arrived to screams and clapping from Republicans and a far more subdued response from Democrats. “For the forces of civilization to triumph, America and Israel must stand together,” Netanyahu declared.
During his address to the Congress, he began his speech by thanking congressional leaders and lawmakers for the “profound” honor of addressing Congress.
Netanyahu stated, “we stand at a “crossroads of history” while the world is ‘in upheaval.'”
He added that in the Middle East, Iran’s “axis of terror” “confronts” US, Israel and its Arab counterparts. “This is not a clash of civilization,” he mentioned.
He also stated that Israel ‘will win’ and notes presence of hostages’ families; thousands protesting Israel’s military operation in Gaza march outside.
He, further, condemned recent claims by International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan, who accused Israel of deliberately starving civilians in Gaza. In a strong rebuttal delivered to Congress, Netanyahu labeled the allegations as “utter, complete nonsense” and a “complete fabrication.”
Netanyahu argued that the accusations are part of a broader strategy employed by Hamas, which he claims aims to have Palestinian civilians suffer in order to tarnish Israel’s international reputation and exert pressure on the country to end the conflict. He asserted that despite any external pressure, he remains committed to continuing Israel’s actions and will not succumb to demands to halt military operations.
He emphasized his determination to maintain Israel’s course, regardless of international criticism, and assured that the country’s policies would not be influenced by these allegations.
In addition to this, he strongly criticized anti-Israel protesters who demonstrated outside the U.S. Capitol during his speech. He accused the protesters of aligning themselves with “evil” and supporting Hamas, stating that they “should be ashamed of themselves.”
In his remarks, Netanyahu suggested that Iran might be funding the protests, implying a broader geopolitical motive behind the demonstrations. He also took issue with the slogans displayed by some protesters, such as “Gays for Gaza,” dismissing them as nonsensical and comparing them to a mock slogan like “Chickens for KFC.”
Netanyahu further criticized the protesters for chanting “From the river to the sea,” suggesting that many of them lack a clear understanding of the geographical reference in their slogans.
