Headline : Speaking to Congress, Netanyahu Hopes to Influence Israelis

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Benjamin Netanyahu wanted Israelis to come away with a distinct impression: In his nation’s hour of peril, he is the only Prime Minister who can lead it on the world stage. In a joint address to Congress on Wednesday, the Israeli premier fought for his political life and proclaimed Israel’s war in Gaza as a struggle for its own survival.

In a stirring speech, Netanyahu defended Israel’s offensive against Hamas, the terrorist group that stormed southern Israel and massacred roughly 1,200 people; he excoriated the millions of protestors who have accused Israel of war crimes and called for an end to its military campaign; he asked lawmakers to supply more military aid to the Jewish state; and he laid out a vision, however vaguely, for a post-war Gaza. 

It was a highly choreographed political performance. For Netanyahu, a shrewd salesman of himself, it was a chance to convince his countrymen that he can best manage the U.S.-Israel relationship. To that end, he argued that the United States has a stake in Israel’s war. “This is not a clash of civilizations,” he said. “It’s a clash between barbarism and civilization.” By fighting Hamas, he added, Israel was weakening Iran, an avowed U.S. enemy. “America and Israel must stand together,” Netanyahu said. “When we stand together something very simply happens. We win, they lose.”

For many Americans, it’s not so simple. Roughly 70 congressional Democrats boycotted the speech, an uptick from the 58 who skipped Netanyahu’s 2015 address lambasting the Iran nuclear deal, the last time Netanyahu accepted a backdoor invitation from a Republican speaker against the wishes of a Democratic president. Given that Vice Presidents often preside over joint sessions of Congress, the most conspicuous absence was Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee; she’s expected to meet with Netanyahu on Thursday. Some found other ways to express dissent. Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, the only Palestinian-American member of Congress, held a sign that said “War Criminal” as Netanyahu was speaking.

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