Netanyahu defends war as protesters rally outside US Congress

Thousands of people demonstrate while Netanyahu speaks to the US Congress.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed American lawmakers, expressing that the enemies facing Israel are also enemies of the United States. The speech aimed to garner support for the conflict with Hamas in Gaza, but was met with demonstrations from pro-Palestinian groups both inside and outside of Congress.

"When we engage in conflict with Iran, we are battling against the most extreme and violent adversary of the United States of America," stated Mr. Netanyahu.

"We are in this together, and when we win, it will be a win for everyone," he said.

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

However, the increasing political disagreements regarding the conflict in Gaza became evident when many Democratic lawmakers intentionally stayed away and numerous demonstrators gathered outside on the streets.

A large group of people congregated near a platform on Capitol Hill adorned with flags, including one accusing the Israeli leader of being a "criminal wanted for war," in connection to a request for an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court prosecutor.

Police say that five individuals were taken into custody after they tried to cause a disturbance during Mr. Netanyahu's speech inside the Capitol building.

Speaking to the demonstrators, Prime Minister Netanyahu stated: "You have now become unwittingly helpful to Iran."

In a recent statement regarding Iran, the Israeli leader described a group of countries as a "axis of terror" that poses a threat to the United States, Israel, and the Arab nations. He depicted the situation as a conflict between primitive behaviors and advanced societies.

The phrase was inspired by Iran's idea of the "axis of resistance," which is a coalition in the Middle East that includes Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen.

During his address to Congress, he mentioned that Iranian-supported groups had targeted American sites. He also stated that Iran is of the belief that in order to effectively oppose America, they must first gain control of the Middle East.

However, at the center of the Middle East, there is a strong pro-American democracy that opposes Iran: my homeland, Israel.

Police officers were on duty to monitor the pro-Palestinian protesters who were rallying against Mr. Netanyahu's speech.

Speaking for more than 60 minutes, Mr. Netanyahu responded to criticism of Israel and portrayed the conflict in Gaza as a fight for his country's existence, while appealing for increased US military assistance.

He expressed gratitude to the United States for giving Israel ample military support for many years. He also mentioned that Israel had shared crucial intelligence with the US that had helped to save numerous lives.

However, he proposed a method of quickly providing US military assistance, suggesting that this could speed up the end of the conflict in Gaza and also reduce the likelihood of a larger war breaking out in the region.

Citing British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's plea to the American public during World War Two, he stated: "Provide us with the necessary resources and we will complete the task."

Mr. Netanyahu briefly touched on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, stating that Israel provides sufficient food aid to ensure each person receives 3,000 calories. He blamed Hamas for any shortages, claiming that they are responsible for stealing the food meant for the residents of Gaza.

Describing his plan for the Gaza Strip post-war, he proposed a region without weapons and extremism, that would be overseen by the Israeli military.

In his opinion, it is not unreasonable to expect Gaza to be governed by Palestinian civilians who are not looking to harm Israel.

He did not mention the possibility of a future plan for two separate states, a goal that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris support. Harris may become the next Democratic Party nominee in his place.

Many Lawmakers Abstain

Many people applauded enthusiastically during the speech, but it was clear that almost 40 lawmakers were not present.

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

Ms Harris did not attend the event, reportedly because of a scheduling conflict.

During her address, Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat from Michigan and the first Palestinian-American in Congress, raised a sign declaring "guilty of genocide" and "war criminal".

Aware that Donald Trump may be elected President again, Benjamin Netanyahu also expressed gratitude towards the ex-president for relocating the American embassy to Jerusalem and acknowledging Israeli control over the Golan Heights, an area seized by Israel from Syria in 1967.

The two men are going to come together in Florida later this week.

In Israel, families of hostages still in Gaza met at home to show disapproval of the speech being shown in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv.

After the national anthem finished playing, people started to leave while Mr. Netanyahu continued to speak on the screen.

The sound was turned off, but his English words were displayed on the screen with Hebrew subtitles.

Not long after the speech ended, the Israeli military declared that they had recovered the remains of two hostages, Maya Goren and Oren Goldin, from Gaza.

The recent news highlighted the increasing hopelessness that families of hostages are experiencing about the chance of reuniting with their loved ones. Despite months of discussions with Hamas about reaching a ceasefire and securing the release of hostages, no progress has been made.

The speech by the prime minister to Congress happened after nine months of Israel's operations in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of over 39,000 individuals as reported by the Hamas-controlled health ministry.

The Israeli army began a mission to eliminate Hamas after a major assault on southern Israel on 7 October, in which approximately 1,200 individuals lost their lives and 251 were captured.