How Netanyahu’s Speech to Congress Fired Up the GOP and Disappointed Democrats

The Israeli prime minister made no mention of the cease-fire negotiations, attacked protesters and dismissed concerns about civilian deaths. “It would have been a fine speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee,” one Democrat said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, walks past Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a nearly 53-minute address to Congress. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have thanked President Joe Biden for his support during his joint address to Congress, but his message was far from what the president has been advocating for in the bloody conflict in Gaza.

During his nearly 53-minute address, Netanyahu did not once mention the possibility of a “cease-fire” agreement, which Biden’s administration has helped negotiate and has publicly advocated for, nor did he take seriously U.S. concerns around civilian deaths.

Instead, he delivered a more aggressive message: Israel will continue to fight Gaza until the bitter end. He scolded campus protesters and the heads of elite universities and emphasized that the U.S.’s fate is firmly tied to the outcome of the war.