Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received 58 standing ovations during his speech to a joint session of Congress in Washington on 24 July, which adds to his record for the most speeches in front of Congress by any invited foreign leader.

Those Congressmen and Congresswomen who cheered him on as he spoke are enabling Israel’s actions in the war on Gaza and are complicit in this ongoing and horrendous war.

Though many lawmakers were divided over inviting Netanyahu, House Speaker Mike Johnson went ahead and invited him to speak anyway.  

It is worth noting that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a major powerbroker in Congress, was Johnson’s top donor in 2023. Johnson had led the House in approving an extra $14 billion of US money for Israel, and he was immediately rewarded with $95,000 in donations, making his invitation to Netanyahu more explicable.

Let’s be fair, though. The Congress is not totally complicit in Israel’s actions in Gaza, and we will start off by naming the non-complicit, non-partisan members. Half of the Democrats in both the House and the Senate, and one single Republican, did not attend the speech, citing frustrations with Netanyahu’s actions.

Though they are still overwhelmingly supportive of Israel, the Democrats are increasingly critical of Netanyahu and his inability to consider Palestinian human losses and his resistance to US calls to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza. They are also increasingly impatient with his flipflopping in the cease-fire negotiations, indicating his clear intention not to commit to it.

US Vice-President Kamala Harris did not attend the speech since she had a conflicting schedule, and neither did Nancy Pelosi, a former House speaker, as she was in a listening session with the Israeli families of hostages held by Hamas. Both were rather flimsy excuses to avoid attending Netanyahu’s speech.

Congress members Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also skipped the speech. “No, Netanyahu should not be welcomed into the US Congress,” tweeted Sanders. “On the contrary, his policies in Gaza and the West Bank and his refusal to support a two-state solution should be roundly condemned.”

Pelosi criticised Netanyahu’s speech on X as being by far “the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary invited and honoured with the privilege of addressing the Congress of the United States.”  

Representative Cori Bush reiterated the same thoughts. “By bestowing Prime Minister Netanyahu with a joint address, Congress is not only continuing to green-light genocide; it is actively celebrating the man at the forefront of that genocide,” she said.

Thomas Massie, the one Republican who missed the speech, tweeted in an explanation that the Congress was undertaking “political theatre on behalf of the State Department, and I don’t feel like being a prop, so I won’t be attending.”

Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan held up a sign during Netanyahu’s speech that read “World Criminal” on one side and “Guilty of Genocide” on the other.

Senator Chuck Schumer of New York did not shake Netanyahu’s hand as the latter entered the chamber but merely nodded to him, and Representative Jerry Nadler of New York mouthed “bullshit” when Netanyahu said he was focused on bringing home the Israeli hostages.

But now let’s delve into what happened during what the Western media said was a defiant and aggressive speech and if it in any way confirms the Congress’ complicity. As a side note, imagine if Russian President Vladimir Putin had been invited to speak to the principal legislative body of any country and those present had given him over 50 standing ovations as he spoke. How would the West have looked upon such an event? The double standards and hypocrisy are overwhelming.

The bottom line is that Netanyahu was invited and given the opportunity to speak to this esteemed body to bolster support for his genocidal assault on Gaza, tell unconvincing lies, and beat around the bush with unattainable promises for over an hour, as those attending cheered him on and implicated not only the Congress but also the US at large in the war.

As he entered the chamber, Netanyahu was greeted with a roar of approval. The attendees cheered and whistled, and he shook hands with several lawmakers who rushed to greet him and pay their respects.

He received a warm welcome from House Speaker Mike Johnson who said that “today and every day, America must stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel.” Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and X, attended the address as Netanyahu’s guest and sat next to Netanyahu’s wife.

Netanyahu drew shouts of applause for slamming Americans who have protested against the war, describing them as “agents of Iran” and “useful idiots” and saying that they “should be ashamed of themselves.” Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, a frontrunner as Harris’ pick for Vice- President in the November US presidential elections, clapped at this point.

Netanyahu warned of an alleged nuclear threat from Iran and went after the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant for him. He tried to convince the US lawmakers that “our fight is your fight! Our victory will be your victory!” And he asked for more support, saying “give us the tools faster and we’ll finish the job faster” and vowed to press on with the war until “total victory.”

According to the US website the Huffington Post, Netanyahu gained much from his address. “The presence of an overwhelming majority of Congress will let Netanyahu accurately say he secured broad, bipartisan US support for his ongoing war effort. That could help him quell intense opposition at home over matters like his slow-rolling of a cease-fire agreement that could help free Israeli hostages captured during the 7 October attacks,” it said.

Netanyahu’s speech did not lay out a clear path for a deal to end the war, something anyone with an iota of humanity would have wanted to hear. It did not address criticisms of the way Netanyahu is handling the war, which has led to unbelievable levels of bloodshed and starvation.

Netanyahu did not emphasise any deliverables or concessions but instead delivered a series of cliches. “This is not a clash of civilisations. It’s a clash between barbarism and civilisation. It’s a clash between those who glorify death and those who sanctify life for the forces of civilisation to triumph. America and Israel must stand together,” he said.

He claimed that after defeating Hamas “a new Gaza could emerge,” a ludicrous comment unless he meant “a new Israeli Gaza” since Netanyahu will not give an inch of support to a Palestinian Gaza.

Though many members of Congress skipped the address and others had harsh words to say about Netanyahu, the fact that he was invited to speak in the first place, as the Israeli army continues to kill innocent children and women in Gaza, is bizarre. The fact that many lawmakers cheered him on as he spoke underscores their blindness to his aggression, leaving them complicit with acts of genocide.

 

The writer is a former professor of communication who is based in Vancouver, Canada.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 1 August, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly