Netanyahu to give historic 4th address to Congress today amid divide over support for Israel
CBSJul 21
Netanyahu Delivers Remarks to the US Congress
Above: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress in the chamber of the House of Representatives at the US Capitol on July 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. Image copyright: Kent Nishimura/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday as part of his visit to the US aimed at reinforcing American support for Israel amid the war in Gaza.
Netanyahu emphasized the Israeli military's resolve to win the conflict, saying the country will continue to wage war until Hamas is destroyed and the hostages returned. He also called on American lawmakers to fast-track military aid to Israel, dismissing accusations of genocide as "outrageous slanders."
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
This visit is largely useless and should have been canceled before it began. While this visit was scheduled when the war in Gaza was front page news in the US, recent domestic events like the assassination attempt on Trump and Biden stepping down from his re-election campaign have overshadowed international news as well as this visit. Though the purpose of this visit may have been to bring attention and support to Israel, the opposite likely occurred, with boycotts against his speech happening in Congress, anger from the families of Israeli hostages about Netanyahu's departure from Israel, and large protests taking place in the Capitol and beyond.
Pro-establishment narrative
This congressional address was a strong symbol of American support and longtime alliance with Israel. Netanyahu's invitation is a sign of bipartisan unity amidst political differences, even despite the boycotts that occurred within Congress. Even though some US lawmakers may disagree with the policies of Netanyahu, his speech, and the response by American politicians emphasizes that this partnership is ironclad, and the US and Israel are unified in their goal of bringing home the hostages. This was a bipartisan show of support for the US' crucial ally.