Netanyahu Implores U.S. Congress for More Weapons, Declares, “We’re Protecting You”

In his record fourth invited speech to address both houses of Congress, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered one of his most angry speeches yet on U.S. soil.

Even before he arrived at the U.S. Capitol, the prime minister found himself facing some of the toughest criticism he has ever faced from Congress. Despite that many have pledged their allegiance to him in the past, many thanks to substantial regular election contributions courtesy of the American-Isreal Political Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and that both Joe Biden and former White House occupant Donald Trump have continuously pledged they “stand with Israel”, evidence is building that the seemingly impenetrable political coalition backing Netanyahu is beginning to weaken.

The pressures began as Joe Biden, facing what was already a tough presidential year, saw support for him and his party dropping in growing numbers as he continued to sign away tens of billions of dollars of “bunker-buster” bombs, more high-end fighter jets, and some of the most advanced missile and rocket-shelling munitions made in the U.S. His administration and the State Department were forced, for the first time in this current post-October 7 phase of the Gaza conflict, to report in on how the weapons they were shipping to Israel were being used, and whether that use violated the rules of war as outlined in Congressional law which was supposed to regulate abuse of military aid.

The result of that self-analysis, dictated mostly by politics rather than either a legal or moral compass, was for Biden to cut back on shipment of some of the biggest bombs in its arsenal. The White House also threatened to cut back even more if Israel did not more adequately protect the Palestinian people. While some weaponry was indeed delayed, Netanyahu did not change any of his ways and the scale and viciousness of bloodshed escalated in Gaza.

That eventually led to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) giving his own unexpected fiery condemnation of how Netanyahu needed to call for new elections, as he had lost the faith both of his own country’s people, who were disgusted mostly with the progress in bringing back their prisoners, and of the U.S. who felt he was inching closer to a complete genocidal destruction of all Palestinians in Gaza, along with many in the West Bank.

That gave license to other congressional and senatorial representatives to challenge the ongoing high level of military aid for Israel.

Though not as serious for Netanyahu, Israel is also losing its grip on broad public opinion in the United States. Between an escalating wave of college protests which exploded in the spring and which have only abated because students have graduated, and even larger marches in the streets of many cities in the U.S., the people are demanding an end to the war against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

Besides Israel’s deadly now almost daily massacres, many of which they claim are necessary because there might be one or two Hamas among the hundreds killed in each major bombing, Israel is also now directly responsible for the murders of over 39,000 Palestinians since October 7and inflicting serious injuries on another 90,000 more. Add to that now near-ironclad evidence that Israeli Defense Forces were responsible for as many as half of the Israelis killed on October 7; that the UN’s International Court of Justice has found Israel likely guilty of mass genocide; that the same court on July 19 ruled that Israel was illegally occupying the Old City of Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, must leave immediately and begin paying reparations; and that the International Criminal Court found Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant guilty of war crimes for their murderous brutalization of the Palestinian people for actions just since October 7 alone; Israel is finding it can no longer so easily get away with the many lies its leaders have offered in explanation for their actions.

If that were not enough to worry Israel, through a combination of episodes when it became clear that Joe Biden might not be healthy enough even to complete the electoral race ahead, calls began building for Joe Biden to let someone else lead the Democratic party in the presidential contest ahead. That could mean not just a gradual shift in support for Netanyahu, but possibly an even sharper decline in aid, even in the short term. Then this became all too real for the prime minister, with current Vice-President Kamala Harris being named the heir apparent to head the Democratic Party.

Even before this time, Harris had consistently been taking stronger stands than Biden in public speeches she had made regarding the war in Gaza. On multiple recent occasions she had called for an immediate ceasefire, something Biden refused to do.

Then, just as planning was moving forward for Netanyahu to give the address he was invited to give by Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, candidate Harris announced she would not be presiding over the joint session in which Netanyahu would appear. She would meet with him outside the chamber but would not appear in the role she would ordinarily hold as the presumptive chair of the Senate, sitting alongside Speaker Johnson, when Netanyahu delivered his diatribe.

Yesterday, as Netanyahu was driven in a bullet-proof motorcade from his hotel to the Capitol to deliver his address, he passed by swarms of protesters waving Palestinian flags, declaring Netanyahu a war criminal for his mass killings, and demanding an immediate end to the genocidal war in Gaza. People called out the prime minister for his actions, chanting, “Netanyahu, you can’t hide, you’re committing genocide.”

Police used pepper spray to contain the protesters. They arrested hundreds of those who seemed the most threatening and sometimes broke through blocked-off streets where Netanyahu passed.

Once in the chamber, although after being introduced the applause from Netanyahu’s allies on the congressional floor, it became clear to the Israeli leader he was even more at risk at losing U.S. backing than just minutes before. That is because many Democrats in the House and Senate chose to boycott the speech, rather than give the illusion that they supported the prime minister’s violent war.

Among those was Senator Bernie Sanders, who expressed frustration and anger that Netanyahu was being allowed to speak at all.

“it will be the first time in American history that a war criminal has been given that honor,” Sanders said in advance of the talk.

Once at the podium, Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to rally the supporters he had by accusing Iran of having paid the costs of the protesters which lined his traffic route to the Capitol. Iran is a long-time foe of Israel which has backed Hamas and Hezbollah alike against Israel and counterattacked the nation after it bombed its embassy in Syria, killing six including senior leaders of its military. In his speech, Netanyahu referred to the protesters as “useful idiots” who were there as pawns manipulated by the leadership in Tehran.

For good measure, Netanyahu also accused those calling him out along the streetside as possible tools of Hamas.

“Many anti-Israel protesters choose to stand with evil,” the prime minister said. “Many stand with Hamas.”

Neither Iran nor Hamas in fact had little to do with the protesters’ presence, but it provided a convenient lie for Netanyahu to hide behind. It was also aligned with similar lies he used to explain away the waves of student and others who had marched against Israel’s war in the past months, claiming they too were being backed by Israel’s foreign enemies in the Middle East.

Netanyahu declared to his audience that his administration would settle for nothing less than “total victory” against Hamas. Based on what his IDF troops have done in recent months, and multiple recent examples including a horrifying massacre in a refugee camp in al-Mawasi, that total victory means the killing of every member of Hamas in Gaza, along with thousands more Palestinians slaughtered as collateral damage.

He took a bilateral approach to thanking the current White House and its previous head for their never-ending supply of guns, missiles, aircraft, and more to support Israel’s continuing oppression and murder of Palestinians in lands it illegally occupies. He applauded Biden’s “heartfelt support for Israel” first. Then, to hedge his bets he commended Trump’s “leadership” in continuing to foot the bill for Israel’s ongoing carnage in the region.

Then he zoned in on his message as to what he wanted Congress and the White House to believe about why he and his administration were conducting such a brutal war.

“We’re not only protecting ourselves,” he virtually screamed to those surrounding him. “We’re protecting you … Our enemies are your enemy, our fight is your fight, and our victory will be your victory.”

“We help keep Americans’ boots off the ground,” Netanyahu added.

Those lines drew a standing ovation, in a crowd already culled of those who had chosen no longer either to believe or support the continuous flow of lies.

As to what it would take to get the war finished, Netanyahu begged those present to vote for more bombs, missiles, rocket shells, tanks, and fighter jets, and the money to pay for that and more.

“Give us the tools faster, and we’ll finish the job faster,” he shouted.

Later, Netanyahu wrote the following on his official social media account on X, just to reemphasize how much he believes the U.S. and Israel need each other.

“For the forces of civilization to triumph, America and Israel must stand together,” he wrote. “When we stand together, something very simple happens. We win. They lose.”

When he was done, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California), who also boycotted sitting in on Netanyahu’s tirade, posted an angry message on X.

She said she had not attended for various reasons, including spending time with her own family and also members of families with some of their own members being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. Those family members were complaining of the close to nonexistent support from Netanyahu in arranging a much-needed ceasefire for a hostage swap.

“Benjamin Netanyahu’s presentation in the House Chamber today was by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary invited and honored with the privilege of addressing the Congress of the United States,” Pelosi wrote. “Families are asking for a ceasefire deal that will bring the hostages home – and we hope the Prime Minister would spend his time achieving that goal.”

Though Netanyahu will probably secure more aid in the near term, mostly because so many of the members of Congress are beholden to Israel via campaign contributions, this could be the last major opportunity the prime minister will get to meet with Congressional leaders and even Biden himself until the U.S. presidential race is done. By that time, he too may have also been forced into another election race of his own, as the Israeli public demands it on its own.