WASHINGTON (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed “total victory” against Hamas and condemned American opponents of the war in Gaza on Wednesday in a scathing speech to Congress boycotted by dozens of Democratic lawmakers and protested by thousands seeking an end to the war and the humanitarian crisis created by it.
Netanyahu’s combative speech offered no sign that his visit to the United States — his first trip abroad since the war started — could bring some progress in months of U.S.-led mediation for a cease-fire and hostage-release, as the Biden administration has hoped.
Speaking for nearly an hour to frequent applause from U.S. lawmakers, as well as stony silence from many leading Democrats in the chamber, Netanyahu said the U.S. has a shared interest in his country’s fight against Hamas and other Iran-backed armed groups.
America and Israel must stand together. When we stand together something really simple happens: We win, they lose,” said Netanyahu, who wore a yellow pin expressing solidarity with the Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
But the Israeli leader soon pivoted to a darker tone as he derided those protesting the war on college campuses and elsewhere in the U.S., gesturing to demonstrations happening on the streets outside the Capitol. He called protesters “useful idiots” for Israel’s adversaries.
Some hostages freed from Gaza and families of those still in captivity listened in the House chamber. Security removed protesters in the gallery who rose to display T-shirts with slogans demanding an end to the war and the freeing of remaining hostages.
One member, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American serving Congress, took it a step further, holding up a sign that said “WAR CRIMINAL” on one side and “GUILTY OF GENOCIDE.” Tlaib has been one of Netanyahu’s most strident critics in Congress and was censured for her comments last year against the Israel-Hamas war, which has killed more than 39,000 in Gaza.
She has relatives in the West Bank and represents a district in Michigan with many Palestinian Americans.