Netanyahu defends war as protesters rally outside US Congress

Many people are protesting while Netanyahu gives a speech to the US Congress.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed members of the United States Congress, stating that the enemies of Israel are also the enemies of the United States. His speech, which aimed to garner support for the conflict in Gaza, was met with both internal and external protests at the Capitol.

Mr. Netanyahu stated that when we engage in conflict with Iran, we are facing the most extreme and lethal adversary of the United States of America.

"We are all in this together, and when we win, you win too," he said.

The Israeli leader was enthusiastically welcomed by a lively crowd of predominantly Republican lawmakers as he gave a speech to both houses of Congress, marking his fourth appearance.

However, the increasing political disagreements regarding the conflict in Gaza were highlighted by the numerous Democratic lawmakers who purposely chose not to attend, as well as the thousands of protestors demonstrating outside.

A large group of people gathered around a stage on Capitol Hill adorned with colorful banners. One of the banners labeled the Israeli leader as a "wanted war criminal," in relation to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court prosecutor.

Police have reported that five individuals were taken into custody for trying to cause disturbance during Mr Netanyahu's speech inside the Capitol building.

Speaking to the demonstrators, Mr. Netanyahu stated: "You have now turned into Iran's helpful fools."

In a recent statement regarding Iran, the leader of Israel referred to an "axis of terror" that poses a threat to the United States, Israel, and Arab countries. He described it as a conflict between barbaric actions and civilized society.

The phrase was inspired by Iran's concept of the "axis of resistance," which is a coalition of groups in the Middle East such as Hamas in Palestine, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen.

He informed Congress that Iranian proxy forces had attacked American targets. He also stated that Iran's strategy involves conquering the Middle East in order to effectively challenge America.

"In the center of the Middle East, opposing Iran, is a strong democracy that supports America: my home, Israel."

The police officers kept watch as protesters supporting Palestine demonstrated against Mr. Netanyahu's speech.

Talking for more than an hour, Mr. Netanyahu avoided negative comments about Israel and described the conflict in Gaza as a fight for his country's existence, in an attempt to secure additional military assistance from the US.

He expressed gratitude to the United States for giving Israel "significant military aid" over many years. He also noted that Israel had given important intelligence to the US, which had helped to "preserve countless lives".

However, he suggested speeding up the process of providing US military assistance, saying it could help bring the war in Gaza to a quicker end and potentially prevent a larger conflict in the region.

Referencing Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of Britain during World War Two, he famously stated: "If you equip us, we will complete the task."

Mr. Netanyahu briefly touched on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, stating that Israel provides sufficient food assistance to ensure each person receives 3,000 calories. He also mentioned that any lack of food in Gaza is due to Hamas supposedly taking it.

Sharing his plan for the future of the Gaza Strip post-war, he proposed creating a region without weapons and extremism, overseen by the Israeli military.

He said that Gaza needs to have a civilian government led by Palestinians who are not trying to dismantle Israel. This is a reasonable request, he added.

He did not mention the possibility of a future solution involving two separate states, a topic that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is expected to succeed him as the Democratic Party's candidate, support.

Many Lawmakers Choose To Stay Home

Many lawmakers were missing during the address, despite the numerous standing ovations given.

The majority of attendees were members of the Democratic party, including prominent former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who expressed disapproval of Mr. Netanyahu's visit.

Ms. Harris did not show up because she had another appointment at the same time.

During her speech, Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat and the first Palestinian-American member of Congress, was observed displaying a sign in the air. The sign accused the individual of committing genocide and being a war criminal.

Aware that Donald Trump may come back to the White House, Benjamin Netanyahu expressed gratitude to the previous president for relocating the American embassy to Jerusalem and acknowledging Israeli control over the Golan Heights. This area was taken by Israel from Syria in 1967.

The two guys will be getting together in Florida at the end of the week.

In Israel, families of hostages still held in Gaza met at home to denounce the speech while it was being shown on a screen in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. They silently watched and expressed their disapproval.

Following the playing of the national anthem, the audience scattered as Netanyahu carried on with his speech on the television screen.

The sound was turned off, but his words in English were displayed in writing in Hebrew.

Not long after the speech ended, the Israeli military said they had found the bodies of two hostages, Maya Goren and Oren Goldin, in Gaza. This news highlighted the increasing hopelessness felt by many hostage families who are still waiting for their loved ones to return, despite months of negotiations yielding no results.

The Prime Minister spoke to Congress after Israel had been involved in the Gaza campaign for nine months, resulting in the deaths of over 39,000 individuals according to the health ministry run by Hamas.

The Israeli army started a mission to eliminate Hamas after a surprising attack on the southern part of Israel on October 7th. The attack led to the death of approximately 1,200 individuals and 251 others were captured.