Netanyahu in Congress, War with Hezbollah, and Explosion at Yellowstone

Snubbed by Democrats, Netanyahu Addresses Congress

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent this week in Washington and addressed a joint meeting of Congress yesterday afternoon. His stated goal, according to the New York Times, was to “anchor the bipartisan support that is so important for Israel.”

He spent the speech highlighting heroic Israeli soldiers and speaking against the growing tide of Antisemitism:

“Don’t applaud, listen,” he said at one point. “Whenever and wherever we see the scourge of antisemitism, we must resolutely condemn it and unequivocally fight it.”

He also defended Israel’s war and condemned American protestors, calling them “useful idiots” and shaming them for taking the side of Israel’s enemies. Of course, the war in Gaza has become a partisan issue in America. While Republicans cheered, many Democrats sat on their hands for much of the address. Before and after the speech, many of them met with relatives of hostages taken by Hamas, and those families expressed anger toward Netanyahu’s policies. Several family members of hostages were removed from the gallery during Netanyahu’s speech and detained.

But prior to the speech—as well as during it—half the U.S. government seemed determined to embarrass Netanyahu.