With Israel’s ongoing war in response to the October 7 massacre receding from U.S. headlines amid presidential assassination attempts and dropouts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered an unprecedented fourth address before a joint session of Congress Wednesday. In it, he forcefully defended his nation’s battle against Hamas terrorists in Gaza and called for a strengthened alliance between the Jewish State and the United States.
Netanyahu began his remarks by bluntly characterizing Israel’s current fight in Gaza and “Iran’s axis of terror” as “not a clash of civilizations. It’s a clash between barbarism and civilization. It’s a clash between those who glorify death and those who sanctify life.”
“America and Israel must stand together,” the prime minister implored. “Because when we stand together, something very simple happens: We win. They lose.”
He continued by reminding Congress of the immensity of what occurred on October 7. “Three thousand Hamas terrorists stormed into Israel. They butchered 1,200 people from 41 countries, including 39 Americans. Proportionately, compared to our population size, that’s like 20 9/11s in one day. And these monsters, they raped women. They beheaded men. They burned babies alive. They killed parents in front of their children and children in front of their parents.” Netanyahu went on to point out that despite Hamas capturing 255 hostages, Israel has so far freed 135.
“I will not rest until all [the hostages] are home. All of them,” the prime minister declared.
In a stern — yet humorous — rebuke of the anti-Israel protestors who gained nationwide attention in the months following October 7, Netanyahu noted Iran’s funding of the effort. “I have a message for these protesters. When the tyrants of Tehran who hang gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair are praising, promoting, and funding you, you have officially become Iran’s useful idiots. Some of these photos — it’s amazing, absolutely amazing. Some of these protesters hold up signs proclaiming, ‘Gays for Gaza.’ They might as well hold up signs saying, ‘Chickens for KFC.’”
In a moment that garnered some of the most rousing applause and shouts of support from Congress, Netanyahu provided a refresher on the history of the Holy Land. “They call Israel a ‘colonialist state.’ Don’t they know that the land of Israel is where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob prayed, where Isaiah and Jeremiah preached, and where David and Solomon ruled? For nearly 4,000 years, the land of Israel has been the homeland of the Jewish people. It’s always been our home. It will always be our home.”
The prime minister additionally relayed that despite the Biden administration, the mainstream media, and anti-Israel protestors attacking the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for supposedly targeting civilians, a West Point urban warfare study found the number of civilian deaths in Gaza to be remarkably low.
“[D]espite all the lies you’ve heard, the war in Gaza has one of the lowest ratios of combatants to non-combatants casualties in the history of urban warfare. And you want to know where it’s lowest in Gaza? … In Rafah. Remember what so many people said. ‘If Israel goes into Rafah, there will be thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of civilians killed.’ Well, last week I went into Rafah. I visited our troops as they finished fighting Hamas’s remaining terrorist battalions. I asked the commander there, ‘How many terrorists did you take out in Rafah?’ He gave me an exact number: 1,203. I asked him, ‘How many civilians were killed.’ He said, ‘Prime Minister, practically none.’ With the exception of a single incident where shrapnel from a bomb hit a Hamas weapons depot and unintentionally killed two dozen people, the answer is practically none. Do you want to know why? Because Israel got the civilians out of harm’s way.”
Netanyahu further emphasized how Iran is the common enemy of both Israel and the U.S., who he noted is the driving force behind Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthi terrorist groups.
“Now ask yourself, which country ultimately stands in the way of Iran’s maniacal plans to impose radical Islam on the world? And the answer is clear. It’s America, the guardian of Western civilization and the world’s greatest power. … But Iran understands that to truly challenge America, it must first conquer the Middle East. … Yet in the heart of the Middle East, standing in Iran’s way is one proud, pro-American democracy: my country, the state of Israel. … Remember this. Our enemies are your enemies. Our fight is your fight. And our victory will be your victory.”
The prime minister then urged Congress to quickly provide military aid to his country.
“For decades, America has provided Israel with generous military assistance, and a grateful Israel has provided America with critical intelligence that saved many lives. We’ve jointly developed some of the most sophisticated weapons on Earth. … We also help keep American boots off the ground while protecting our shared interests in the Middle East. I deeply appreciate America’s support, including in this current war, but this is an exceptional moment. Fast tracking U.S. military aid can dramatically expedite an end to the war in Gaza and help prevent a broader war in the Middle East.”
Netanyahu proceeded to cast a vision for a future Gaza free from Hamas’s clutches.
“The day after we defeat Hamas, a new Gaza could emerge. My vision for that day is of a demilitarized and deradicalized Gaza. Israel does not seek to resettle Gaza, but for the foreseeable future, we must retain overriding security control there to prevent the resurgence of terror, 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. That’s not too much to ask. It’s a fundamental thing that we have a right to demand and to receive. A new generation of Palestinians must no longer be taught to hate Jews, but rather to live in peace with us.”
After thanking former President Donald Trump for brokering the Abraham Accords that brought peace between Israel and four Arab nations, Netanyahu described a possible future “Abraham Alliance” made up of nations that helped to defend Israel from the unprecedented April 14 attack perpetrated by Iran that targeted the Jewish State with hundreds of missiles and drones.
Declaring himself “hopeful” about Israel and America’s future, Netanyahu concluded by resolutely underscoring his trust in continued robust alliance between the two countries.
“Working together, I’m confident that our two nations will vanquish the tyrants and terrorists who threaten us both. …Israel will always remain America’s indispensable ally through thick and thin, in good times and in bad. … Together we shall defend our common civilization. Together we shall secure a brilliant future for both our nations. May God bless Israel. May God bless America, and may God bless the great alliance between Israel and America forever.”
Dan Hart is senior editor at The Washington Stand.
