Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a forceful message to American lawmakers during a Wednesday congressional address, saying that the Jewish state's war against Hamas and the terror group's Iranian benefactors is vital to American interests and helps protect the United States.
"If you remember one thing, one thing, from the speech, remember this: Our enemies are your enemies, our fight is your fight, and our victory will be your victory," Netanyahu said to widespread applause. "All our enemies should know this: Those who attack Israel will pay a very heavy price."
The Israeli leader's speech before Congress comes amid a contested U.S. election season. The Jewish state's war has divided Democratic leaders and fractured the party's foreign policy establishment. Scores of Democratic lawmakers boycotted Netanyahu's speech, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.), and Sen. Patty Murray (D., Wash.).
Vice President Kamala Harris, meanwhile, declined to preside over the address in favor of a political event with a college sorority, prompting criticism from GOP lawmakers and signaling that support for Israel's war is again emerging as a key issue ahead of the November elections. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.), a vocal anti-Semite and fierce opponent of Netanyahu's government, attended the speech and used it as an opportunity to protest. Tlaib sat in the crowd, scowling, while she held signs that read "Guilty of genocide" and "War criminal."
Netanyahu made clear that Israel's fight to destroy Hamas and counter Hezbollah is tied to American interests across the Middle East.
"In the heart of the Middle East, standing in Iran's way, is one proud, pro-American democracy, my country, the State of Israel," Netanyahu said. "When Israel acts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons that could destroy Israel and threaten every American city, every city that you come from, we're not only protecting ourselves, we're protecting you."
Tehran's hardline regime, Netanyahu noted, is engaged in a massive foreign influence operation in America that aims to sow dissent over Israel's war. U.S. intelligence officials determined earlier this month that Iran is funding anti-Israel protesters in a bid to interfere in the 2024 election.
"Iran is funding the anti-Israel protests that are going on right now outside this building," Netanyahu said. "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."
The prime minister also took aim at campus protesters and the university leadership that allowed violent mobs to target Jewish students across the United States.
"Clarity begins by knowing the difference between good and evil," Netanyahu said. "Yet incredibly, many anti-Israel protesters, many choose to stand with evil. They stand with Hamas. They stand with rapists and murderers."
Protesters "should be ashamed of themselves," he continued. "They refuse to make the simple distinction between those who target terrorists and those who target civilians, between the democratic State of Israel and the terrorist thugs of Hamas."
Campus leaders, Netanyahu said, are directly responsible for a resurgence of anti-Semitism across America.
"Eighty years after the Holocaust, the presidents of Harvard, Penn, and, I'm ashamed to say, my alma mater, MIT, couldn't bring themselves to condemn the calls for the genocide of Jews," he said. "Let me give these befuddled academics a little context: Anti-Semitism is the world's oldest hatred."
"Just as malicious lies were leveled for centuries at the Jewish people, malicious lies are being leveled at the Jewish state," Netanyahu continued. "The outrageous slanders that paint Israel as racist and genocidal are meant to delegitimize Israel, to demonize the Jewish state, and to demonize Jews everywhere. And no wonder, no wonder, we've witnessed an appalling amount of anti-Semitism in America and around the world."
Netanyahu also called on Congress and the Biden-Harris administration to fast-track arms shipments to the Jewish state. The issue has been a flashpoint in U.S.-Israel relations since the Biden administration decided to withhold certain munitions and other weapons as part of a diplomatic pressure campaign to end Israel's war in the Gaza Strip.
"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," he said. "Give us the tools faster and we'll finish the job faster."
The prime minister also took time to condemn the International Criminal Court for trying to prosecute Israel on trumped-up claims of genocide in the Gaza Strip.
"If Israel's hands are tied, America is next," he said, urging U.S. leaders to dispute the court's claims. "The hands of the Jewish state will never be shackled. Israel will always defend itself."
Israel's war on Hamas, Netanyahu said, will instantly end if Hamas "returns all the hostages. But if they don't, Israel will fight until we destroy Hamas's military capabilities and its rule in Gaza and bring all our hostages home. That's what total victory means and we will settle for nothing less."
Netanyahu also floated a plan for post-war Gaza, saying it must be demilitarized and run by leaders who do not advocate for Israel's destruction. The Jewish state has no intention of resettling the territory but would need security control for an extended period to ensure terrorists do not resurface, Netanyahu said.
Peace with Israel's neighbors also remains on a top-agenda item. Netanyahu advocated forming a military coalition like NATO that would be responsible for fending off attacks by Iran. The Abraham Accords, a landmark peace deal brokered by the Trump administration, can set the stage for such an alliance, Netanyahu said.