Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the U.S. this week took place at a critical time when Israel is at war, Hamas still holds 116 hostages (including eight Americans), and U.S.-Israel ties are frayed because of the hostile and incompetent policies of the Biden administration. Although Netanyahu probably did not succeed in altering the Biden administration’s Middle East policies, the visit likely changed some minds in Congress and with the American people.
The visit was historic because Netanyahu became the first world leader to address a joint meeting of Congress four times. A leader of an Israeli think tank told me he had high expectations for the visit because he hoped it would enable Netanyahu to convince the Biden administration to give it more time to finish the war with Hamas and implement tougher policies against Iran.
I told the think tank leader that none of these things would happen and that Biden’s policies toward Israel and Iran will not improve and may grow worse because Biden and Harris refuse to do anything that might alienate their anti-Israel progressive base and do not want to provoke Iran before the election. I noted that the Biden administration continues its efforts to appease Iran and gave it a $10 billion sanctions waiver earlier this month.
Nevertheless, Netanyahu’s visit was important because it countered the Biden administration’s inept policies on the war in Gaza and Iran by shoring up support for Israel in Congress and with the American public. The trip also helped expose the extremism of anti-Israel protesters for the American people to see.
Netanyahu did a masterful job in his address to Congress, reminding Americans of the horror of the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack against Israel and the depravity of Hamas. Netanyahu contrasted Israel’s extraordinary efforts to limit civilian casualties with Hamas’ callous lack of respect for human life when he said:
“For Israel, every civilian death is a tragedy. For Hamas, it’s a strategy. They actually want Palestinian civilians to die, so that Israel will be smeared in the international media and be pressured to end the war before it’s won.”
Netanyahu made his case by introducing members of hostage families—including American hostages—and several Israeli soldiers who bravely defended their country during the October 7 terrorist attack.
These were words that needed to be said because the mainstream media and Western leaders seem to have forgotten what happened on October 7, 2023 and that Hamas continues to hold hostages taken from Israel on that day. The media and Western leaders tend to say very little about the hostages or who started the war and instead repeat pro-Hamas propaganda that smears Israel over the war. A good example was Netanyahu’s explanation that Hamas, not Israel, has been starving the people of Gaza. Netanyahu’s presentation set the record straight on the Gaza War.
It was unfortunate that President Biden and Vice President Harris did not meet Netanyahu’s plane and Harris boycotted the Israeli leader’s speech to Congress. This behavior was not unexpected, given the poor relations between Biden and Netanyahu and the Biden administration’s incompetent foreign policy that has benefited Hamas and Iran. But Netanyahu was gracious and thanked Biden “for his tireless efforts on behalf of the hostages and for his efforts to the hostage families” and “for his heartful support for Israel after the savage attack on October 7th.”
Netanyahu’s praise of Biden gave moderate Democrats license to increase their support for Israel and oppose the Biden administration’s questionable Middle East policies without appearing to give into Republican criticism of the Biden administration.
Netanyahu also slammed pro-Hamas, anti-Israel protesters as “useful idiots” for ignoring the atrocities of October 7 and siding with terrorists backed by Iran.
A group of several hundred anti-Israel protesters outside the Capitol during Netanyahu’s speech proved they were useful idiots by lowering American flags from flag poles, burning them, and replacing the U.S. flags with Palestinian flags. The protesters also roughed up the Capitol police and vandalized Columbus Square in front of Union Station.
Americans saw the contrast between a loyal friend of America speaking to Congress while anti-Israel demonstrators burned American flags, defaced public monuments, burned an effigy of Netanyahu, and attacked Park Service police as part of their “peaceful” protest.
You could tell that Netanyahu’s address to Congress was effective because of the unhinged condemnations by several Democratic Members of Congress. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who skipped the speech, said, “Benjamin Netanyahu’s presentation in the House Chamber today was by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary invited and honored with the privilege of addressing the Congress of the United States.” Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) said, “The speech was, as I expected, a setback for both the U.S.-Israel relationship and the fight against Hamas.” Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) called the speech “fundamentally dishonest.”
These congressional critics had nothing to say about the burning of American flags, vandalism, and violence by anti-Israel protesters during Netanyahu’s speech. By contrast, seven House members led by Speaker Mike Johnson went to Columbus Square Wednesday night to replace the American flags that were torn down and burned by anti-Israel protesters.
The Netanyahu visit was successful because it gave him a chance to deliver a powerful presentation defending the U.S.-Israel relationship, thanking America—and President Biden—for supporting Israel after the October 7 attacks, and explaining the common security threats that both nations face, especially from Iran. He refuted many smears and misleading statements about the Gaza War and Israeli national security policies. As a result, I believe the visit will strengthen this crucial relationship and Israeli security and could protect them from further damage by ill-advised Biden administration policies between now and next January.
This week’s Netanyahu visit to the U.S. was also important because the Israeli leader will meet with President Trump today at Mar-a-Lago. This meeting will allow the two leaders to renew their friendship and discuss U.S.-Israel policies in a possible second Trump administration. This likely will include how to ease increased tensions between the two countries caused by the Biden administration, how to quickly end the Israel-Hamas War, and how to expand the Abraham Accords. Trump and Netanyahu will also probably discuss resuming a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran to counter its nuclear weapons program, efforts to destabilize the region, and support of terrorism.
If Trump wins the 2024 presidential election, there will be a lot for Trump and Netanyahu to do to repair and advance the U.S.-Israeli relationship. Today’s meeting might give them a head start.
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Fred Fleitz previously served as National Security Council chief of staff, CIA analyst, and a House Intelligence Committee staff member.
A few things:
We cannot become part of the hatred, we cannot get sucked into the abyss of evil.