Bibi’s Magic Show in Congress
United States of America and Netanyahu
Bibi’s Magic Show in Congress: Benjamin Netanyahu, in his speech to the U.S. Congress, stated that a conflict between civilization and barbarism is underway in the Middle East.
Harris, Pelosi, and J.D. Vance were not present in Congress.
While Benjamin Netanyahu delivered his controversial speech inside the U.S. Congress hall, thousands of protesters outside objected to his speech.
Police used pepper spray against the protesters who were shouting, ‘Netanyahu, you can’t hide.’
You are committing genocide. This was the fourth time the Israeli Prime Minister, as always, spoke to American lawmakers at the invitation of the Republicans.
In a fiery speech, Netanyahu called for complete victory and emphasized that what is happening is not a clash of civilizations but a conflict between barbarism and civilization, between those who praise death and those who celebrate life.
He reminded many attendees of the reasons why the United States should continue to support the war against Hamas, stating that it is in the Middle East where Iran, the axis of terror, confronts America. He added, ‘Give us the tools to finish the job.’
The Prime Minister did not hesitate to blame the protesters who criticized him outside the Capitol Hill, calling them, in his view, ‘useless idiots’ affiliated with Tehran.
Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke in Congress while several seats were noticeably empty.
Among the empty seats were those of Kamala Harris, the potential Democratic presidential candidate who was attending a campaign rally in Indiana, Nancy Pelosi, and hundreds of Democratic representatives.
Even J.D. Vance, Donald Trump’s deputy in the White House, was occupied elsewhere with an election campaign, and among the honorary guests, the presence of the prominent billionaire Elon Musk was striking.
A War Criminal in Congress
Netanyahu’s visit to the U.S. capital comes as the International Criminal Court, which the United States does not recognize, is considering a request to issue an arrest warrant for the Prime Minister as well as other Israeli officials and senior Hamas leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Additionally, last week, the United Nations International Court defined Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories as illegal and de facto annexation, which must end as soon as possible.
In light of these two statements, protests against Netanyahu’s intervention began in Washington from Tuesday.
A group of progressive Jews occupied the Cannon House Building, which houses congressional offices, demanding a halt to weapons transfers to Israel.
This tension led to the arrest of two hundred people and a note from the police reminding that demonstrations inside congressional buildings are illegal.
On Thursday, April 26, Netanyahu went to the White House to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden, and as expected, Kamala Harris also met with him. Donald Trump, the Republican leader, announced on his social network Truth that he would see him on Friday morning at his private club Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida.
The Hostages
Although Netanyahu’s speech was repeatedly met with strong applause in Congress, among the attendees were those who refrained, the family members of hostages still being held in Gaza.
In his first speech in the United States after the October 7 Hamas attack, in which more than 1,200 Israelis were killed and 250 people, including 120 prisoners, are still held hostage, Netanyahu made no mention of ceasefire negotiations with Hamas.
He only said that Israel is engaged in intense efforts and added that it will continue to exert pressure and wait for the best possible conditions.
Some of the hostage families renewed their request from the Israeli government, which has been ongoing for months, demanding an agreement to be reached as quickly as possible.
Daniel Notra, whose brother Omar is one of the eight American citizens still in captivity, told a House committee that the urgency of the issue does not seem to affect him.
While in Israel, protests for reaching an agreement and returning the hostages have now taken on the color of genuine anti-government demonstrations, there was no discussion of this issue in Congress.
Criticisms raised by the hostage families were also resumed by Yair Lapid from the opposition Labor Party, who wrote on X, ‘Shame on you, an hour-long speech without saying even a single sentence of agreement regarding the abducted individuals will be done.’
Harris and Netanyahu: Has Anything Changed?
Netanyahu’s controversial speech in the U.S. Congress was somewhat overshadowed by events that disrupted the ongoing U.S. election campaign.
Following an armed attack on Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw his candidacy practically transformed the race for the White House and left the Israeli Prime Minister in uncertainty.
Netanyahu, who in recent months had repeatedly ignored the U.S. President’s requests and his plan for a ceasefire in Gaza, hoping for Trump’s return to the White House, was present in Washington precisely during the days of Joe Biden’s withdrawal and Kamala Harris’s replacement as the candidate for the upcoming U.S. elections.
An event that practically increases the Democrats’ chances of winning the November elections again.
Harris, who was absent from Netanyahu’s speech due to a prior commitment, denied boycotting the speech but has repeatedly criticized the manner in which Israel conducts the war in Gaza in recent months.
The Vice President has so far remained in the shadow of a man who, despite his difficult relations with Benjamin Netanyahu, is explicitly defined as the most pro-Israel U.S. president.
But now that Harris is the potential Democratic candidate, according to Senator Chris Murphy, who worked with the Senate Intelligence Committee’s deputy, changes are on the way. Murphy said President Biden brought a history of a long relationship with Bibi Netanyahu and a decade of experience in U.S.-Israel relations to the White House.
But now it seems that the time has come to reconsider that relationship and undertake a new review on how to deal with Israel’s political landscape, which is sliding to the right more than we imagined.
Instead of seeking dialogue aimed at ending the war, Netanyahu’s speech escalated the level of conflict, radicalized the tone, and took all issues to the extreme. He went beyond the clash of civilizations and talked about a possible single civilization against what is perceived as barbarism.
The reference to lack of civilization is clearly related to Hamas, but it is a fact that the entire population of the Gaza Strip is a victim of war and collective punishment.
Furthermore, it simply ignored tens of thousands of civilian casualties as well as the hostages and their families. This rhetoric, which bears a strong resemblance to the good versus evil rhetoric that George W.
Bush used after September 11, 2001, contributes to fueling conflict in the region. Biden himself, by recalling the dire situation of the attack on the Twin Towers and comparing it to the bloody events of October 7, actually intended to warn his ally Israel about the dangers of such a narrative and tried to prevent unfortunate events and escalating tensions in the Middle East by reminding of the U.S.’s mistake in a blind reaction that led to twenty years of war.