“We are at a historic crossroads,” Netanyahu said to applause from the audience. “The Middle East is boiling! The axis of evil led by Iran is facing off against America, Israel and our Arab friends. This is not a clash of civilizations. This is a clash between barbarism and civilization, and for the forces of civilization to prevail, America and Israel must stand together.”
The Israeli Prime Minister stressed that “Israel will not back down and we will fight until we achieve victory,” adding: “We will not accept anything less than a complete victory over the factions’ movement. Israel does not want to destroy Gaza, but we seek a military presence there so that Gaza does not pose any military threat to us. We will continue fighting until we achieve a comprehensive and complete victory.”
Regarding his vision for the “day after” the war on Gaza, he said that he seeks a Gaza Strip without weapons and without extremism, and said: “Israel will not control Gaza, but we must maintain security control there to prevent renewed threats. Gaza needs a Palestinian administration that does not seek to destroy Israel.”
“A new generation of Palestinians should not be raised to hate Israel,” he added. “Disarmament and deradicalization – these two concepts were implemented in Germany and Japan after World War II, and provided decades of peace; this is my vision for Gaza.”
This is the fourth time Netanyahu has addressed the US Congress, a record for a foreign leader, something usually reserved for leaders on state visits. Netanyahu’s speech is also likely to be directed at the Israeli interior, where he faces mounting opposition over his handling of the war.
It is noteworthy that Netanyahu is not in Washington at the invitation of the White House, but rather at the invitation of Republican parliamentary leaders who were joined by Democratic leaders against their will, in light of the dispute between Netanyahu and the White House over Netanyahu’s public criticism of the Biden administration despite the absolute support it provided to Israel during the war.
Vice President Kamala Harris was absent from Congress, citing time constraints, even though she was the one who should have chaired the session according to protocol. A number of Democrats condemned Netanyahu’s conduct in the war on Gaza, which resulted in the deaths of more than 40,000 people, most of them women and children.
“No, Netanyahu is not welcome in the US Congress,” Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders wrote on Twitter, while Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson warned that he would not tolerate any opposition protests during the speech.
Source: RT
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2024-07-26 14:19:58
