Netanyahu urges Mideast anti-Iran alliance in Congressional speech

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to garner support for his country in Washington DC, proposing an anti-Iran alliance in the Middle East led by the US and Israel.

“All countries that are at peace with Israel and all those countries who will make peace with Israel should be invited to join this alliance,” Netanyahu said in a joint meeting of US Congress Wednesday afternoon. “We saw a glimpse of that potential alliance on April 14th. Led by the United States, more than half a dozen nations worked alongside Israel to help neutralize hundreds of missiles and drones launched by Iran against us.”

This was Netanyahu’s first address after the Hamas attack on October 7 and Israel’s retaliatory onslaught on Gaza, which has brought Tehran and Tel Aviv ever closer to an all-out war, with both countries targeting the other’s territory for the first time ever.

“For Iran, Israel is first, America is next,” Netanyahu said, “so when Israel fights Hamas, we're fighting Iran. When we fight Hezbollah, we're fighting Iran. When we fight the Houthis, we're fighting Iran. And when we fight Iran, we're fighting the most radical and murderous enemy of the United States of America.”

Netanyahu’s address was met by immediate reaction from Palestinian groups and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, whose official X account posted in Hebrew as the Israeli prime minister delivered his speech to the US Congress, taunting both countries for ‘failing’ to defeat Hamas.

“The Resistance’s strength is more and more evident by the day,” the post on X read. “A huge system like the US, in all military, political and economic dimensions, stands behind the Zionists in the fight against Hamas, but they’ve been unable to bring it to its knees.”

In his hour-long address, Netanyahu seemed to be attempting to convince the US lawmakers and an increasingly doubtful American public that the conflicts in the Middle East, and the war on Gaza, in particular, were a war of good against evil, and that Israel was the only thing standing in the way of Iran “conquering” the region.

Many of those present in the Congress cheered Netanyahu, showing their support with standing ovations, as has become customary in these addresses. More notable than the support, however, was the absence of dozens of Democrats, including Vice President Kamala Harris, who leads the race to become her party’s nominee for 2024 presidential election in November.

Netanyahu’s address to the US Congress this year was more contentious than ever, due to the ongoing war on Gaza, which has killed almost 40,000 civilians, according to the health ministry in Gaza. Thousands gathered near the Capitol building in Washington DC in protest against Israel’s prime minister.

The protests were not left unnoticed by Netanyahu. Quoting the US director of national intelligence, he said the anti-Israel protests in the US are funded by Iran. “I have a message for these protesters,” he said, “when the tyrants of Tehran who hang gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair are praising and promoting and funding you, you have officially become Iran's useful idiots.”

Earlier this month, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines issued a warning that actors tied to Iran's government had posed as activists online, encouraged protests regarding the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and even provided demonstrators with financial support.

In unveiling his new strategy against Iran and Hamas, amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Netanyahu said that Israel’s defeat of Hamas, would be a powerful blow to Iran’s axis of terror. 

“Our fight is your fight. Our enemies are your enemies, and our victory will be your victory,” he said.

Referencing Iran's numerous proxies in the region, the Israeli leader framed the situation as a clash between "barbarism and civilization," emphasizing that "for the forces of civilization to triumph, America and Israel must stand together."

Netanyahu also took time to thank President Joe Biden for his response to Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel, expressing gratitude for his assistance with the hostages and ongoing support following the attack.

Before his arrival in the US, the Israeli Prime Minister expressed his hope that his meeting with Biden would strengthen the two nations' efforts against the "terrorist axis of Iran" and its proxies.

The leader’s visit this week, however, was largely overshadowed by the absence of both President Biden and Vice President Harris and protests around Capitol Hill.

Dozens of Democratic senators and representatives were absent, with some reportedly citing disagreement with Netanyahu’s policies, while others mentioned scheduling conflicts. Dozens of lawmakers had also skipped the Israeli leader’s speech in 2015.

The vice president usually presides over joint addresses, but Harris was in Indianapolis on her presidential campaign which she launched Sunday, after President Biden dropped his re-election bid.

Biden, meanwhile, is set to deliver his first address to the nation since announcing his decision not to seek re-election, with some arguing that it will further distract attentions from Netanyahu’s visit.

Both Biden and Harris are slated to meet with the Israeli Prime Minister separately on Thursday.

Biden and Harris were also visibly absent to greet the Israeli leader and his wife upon arrival.

But Harris’ plans, according to an aide who spoke with Politico, “should not be interpreted as a change in her position with regard to Israel.”

David Friedman, who served as the US ambassador to Israel during the Trump administration, was a vocal critic of Harris’ absence, stating that it is not just an insult to Netanyahu but also to Israel.

Her refusal to preside over the joint address “tells you everything you need to know about where she stands on Israel. All the far left Jewish groups trying to justify this incredible insult are convincing no one,” Friedman posted on X.

Former President Donald Trump is set to meet Netanyahu on Friday at Mar-a-Lago, his luxury resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

The stakes for the Israeli leader are high, as he faces mounting criticism and pressure to strike a cease-fire deal that would end the fighting in Gaza following the Israeli offensive that came after Hamas’ attacks on October 7, 2023. Palestinian health officials say tens of thousands have reportedly been killed since the war began.

Upon landing on Tuesday, Netanyahu and his wife Sara met with representatives of the families of the Israeli-American hostages held by Hamas. Reports suggest that the families had already been onboard the flight with the Prime Minister.

Shortly after the meeting, Netanyahu said that any cessation in military actions against Hamas could potentially compromise Israel's security in the face of threats from Iran.

“I am not prepared in any way to give in on the victory over Hamas. If we give up on this, we will be in danger in the face of Iran's entire axis of evil,” he said after the meeting.

Netanyahu said he is doing everything in his power to combine the necessary humanitarian objective and the imperative to return the hostages, and at the same time, “preserve the existence of the State of Israel.”