Netanyahu calls for faster US aid, criticises anti-Israel protests in Congress speech

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that he is “actively engaged in intensive efforts” to secure the release of hostages in Gaza during his speech to the US Congress, in which he also thanked President Joe Biden for his “unconditional” support for Israel during the conflict.

“We are today at a crossroads of history. Our world is in crisis,” Netanyahu said at the beginning of his speech. “For the forces of civilization to triumph, America and Israel must remain united. Because when we are united, something very simple happens: we win, they lose.”

The prime minister recounted the events of October 7, 2023, when 1,200 people were killed in Israel by Hamas militants, triggering the current war.

The audience included relatives of Israelis and Americans kidnapped by Hamas, as well as one of the survivors of the attack and soldiers from the Israeli military.

“The war in Gaza could end tomorrow if Hamas surrenders unarmed and returns all the hostages,” he said. “But if they don’t, Israel will fight until we destroy Hamas’ military capabilities and role in Gaza, and we bring all our hostages home.”

Netanyahu entered the chamber where representatives and senators greeted him with long applause around 2:00 p.m. local time in Washington. This is the fourth time that the Israeli prime minister has given a speech from Congress.

“My friends, I have come today to assure you of one thing: we will prevail,” he said. “I will not rest until all of their loved ones are home… As we speak, we are actively engaged in intensive efforts to secure their release. And I am confident that these efforts can succeed.”

Before his speech, the Israeli prime minister met with House Speaker Mike Johnson, who called the moment one of “high importance” for the US.

“Our bipartisan leadership in Congress invited him here because our beloved ally Israel is in an existential fight for its very existence. And that fight extends to every one of its borders… Israel and the United States are united in our mission to bring (the kidnapped people) home. And I have every confidence that we will do that,” Johnson told reporters.

In meetings with Jewish organizations in Washington, Netanyahu said he would present “a plan for the day after the war in Gaza” during his speech to Congress.

His vision, he told Congress, is to have “a demilitarized and non-radicalized Gaza.”

“For the foreseeable future, we must maintain paramount security control there to prevent the resurgence of terrorism, to ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel… Gaza should have a civilian administration, run by Palestinians who do not seek to destroy Israel,” he said.

Netanyahu also referred to the decision of the International Criminal Court to charge him with crimes against humanity and “deliberately starving the people of Gaza,” which he said was “complete nonsense.”

United Nations agencies warned in June that more than 1 million Palestinians in Gaza could experience the highest level of famine if hostilities continue. The report said the situation remains critical in northern Gaza, which has been surrounded and largely isolated by Israeli troops for months.

“All our enemies should know this: those who attack Israel will pay a very high price,” added Netanyahu, who urged the US to offer aid and additional funding “faster” to “finish the job faster.”

Netanyahu’s presence in the Capitol is rejected

Earlier on Capitol Hill, a group of more than 60 Democratic lawmakers met with the families of the Israeli hostages to shed light on their months of captivity and increase pressure on Netanyahu and his government to respect the terms of the cease-fire agreement the United States is helping to broker.

The event was billed as an alternative plan for Democrats who did not want to attend Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on Wednesday afternoon.

“I’m hopeful that the prime minister will hear them, hear the families and the countless Americans who love and support Israel and want to see a negotiated end to the fighting that makes a lasting peace possible,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, a senior Democrat who is boycotting the speech.

Outside the Capitol, thousands of people demonstrated with Palestinian flags and calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to reject Netanyahu’s presence in the US capital. A large police presence was noted around the building, while barriers prevented pedestrians from entering.

“Defeating our brutal enemies requires both courage and clarity. Clarity begins with knowing the difference between right and wrong, yet incredibly many anti-Israel protesters choose to support evil,” Netanyahu said in response during his speech.

The prime minister added that these demonstrations are being supported by Iran, and assured, amid laughter from those present, that “there are not that many of them.”

“You have officially become useful idiots for Iran,” Netanyahu added, saying that those who call Israel a “genocidal state” are seeking to “demonize the Jews.”

Pro-Palestine groups and university students have been protesting for months in the United States against the Israeli offensive in Gaza, a Hamas-ruled enclave where, according to health authorities, some 40,000 Palestinians have been killed and almost all of its 2.3 million inhabitants have been displaced.

US Vice President Kamala Harris, as president of the Senate, was absent for a trip to Indianapolis scheduled before Biden withdrew his re-election bid, making her the likely Democratic presidential nominee.

Netanyahu also thanked former president and current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump “for all his support for Israel,” a statement that was greeted with applause among the Republican caucus in Congress.

Netanyahu’s agenda in Washington will continue on Thursday with a visit to the White House where he will meet with President Biden.

Administration officials said the leaders “will discuss developments in Gaza and progress toward a ceasefire agreement and hostage release and the United States’ unwavering commitment to Israel’s security.”

[Con información de The Associated Press]

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