In his fourth address to the Joint Session of the Congress on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed Iran over funding and supporting groups against Israel and asserted that defeating the brutal enemies requires both courage and clarity while sending out a clear message for the anti-war protesters. He further asserted that in the Middle East, Iran is virtually behind all terrorism, turmoil, chaos and killing.4
Netanyahu’s address to Congress comes at a crucial time when several US officials have shown support to prospects of striking a deal that could both free Hamas-held Israeli hostages and bring the conflict to an end. In US, thousands have expressed their dissatisfaction with Netanyahu's way of waging the war and killing 39,000 Palestinians.
The US for past several months has seen widespread protests across the country including the college campuses and elsewhere where people vehemently criticised the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
What did Benjamin Netanyahu say?
“For all we know, Iran is funding the anti-Israel protests that are going on right now outside this building—not that many, but they’re there—and throughout the city. Well, I have a message for these protesters: When the Tyrants of Tehran, who hang gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair, are praising, promoting and funding you, you have officially become Iran’s useful idiots,” Netanyahu said.
"It’s amazing, absolutely amazing. Some of these protesters hold up signs proclaiming 'Gays for Gaza'. They might as well hold up signs saying 'Chickens for KFC'. These protesters chant 'From the river to the sea'. But many don’t have a clue what river and what sea they’re talking about. They not only get an F in geography, they get an F in history. They call Israel a colonialist state. Don’t they know that the Land of Israel is where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob prayed, where Isaiah and Jeremiah preached and where David and Solomon ruled?” he further added.
“And that should come as no surprise. When he founded the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Khomeini pledged, “We will export our revolution to the entire world. We will export the Islamic revolution to the entire world.” Now, ask yourself, which country ultimately stands in the way of Iran’s maniacal plans to impose radical Islam on the world? And the answer is clear: It’s America, the guardian of Western civilization and the world’s greatest power. That’s why Iran sees America as its greatest enemy,” the Israeli PM said.
Iran, he said, understands that to truly challenge America, it must first conquer the Middle East. And for this it uses its many proxies, including the Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas.
“Yet in the heart of the Middle East, standing in Iran’s way, is one proud pro-American democracy—my country, the State of Israel,” he said.
Asserting that victory is in site, Netanyahu said the day after they defeat Hamas, a new Gaza can emerge.
“My vision for that day is of a demilitarized and deradicalized Gaza. Israel does not seek to resettle Gaza. But for the foreseeable future, we must retain overriding security control there to prevent the resurgence of terror, to ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel,” he said.
“Gaza should have a civilian administration run by Palestinians who do not seek to destroy Israel. That’s not too much to ask. It’s a fundamental thing that we have a right to demand and to receive. A new generation of Palestinians must no longer be taught to hate Jews but rather to live in peace with us. Those twin words, demilitarization and deradicalization, those two concepts were applied to Germany and Japan after World War II, and that led to decades of peace, prosperity and security,” he added.
US govt supports people's right to protest
While Israeli PM Netanyahu continued with criticism on anti-war protests, US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken came out in support of the protesters indicating their believe in them having legitimate grievances. However, they still criticised the rhetoric that has devolved into antisemitism.
At a news conference in April, Antony Blinken said he understands the “strong, passionate feelings” people have about the bloodshed in Gaza.
“It’s a hallmark of our democracy that our citizens make known their views, their concerns, their anger at any given time. And I think that reflects the strength of the country, the strength of democracy,” he said.
Biden, who has repeatedly faced pro-Palestinian protests at his public events this year also said, “I understand the passion,” despite facing repeated interruption during a campaign event at a South Carolina church earlier this year.
