I had mixed feelings about watching Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu address Congress. I chose to do so. While it started ok as it went on I thought “Wow.” While at times Bibi pointed out President Biden’s enormous help he wound up giving equal praise to Trump. And increasingly it felt like some Republican at a large GOP gathering or the convention throwing chunk after chunk of “red meat” to the crowd. In the post speech commentary I learned he’d indicated in advance he’d be moderate and conciliatory in his remarks. As I said, while he might have started off that way he devolved into an angry defense of himself and his plan to prosecute the war. The hopes families had of him saying he was ready to accept the deal on the table to release them was dashed.
As this article from The Hill indicates the whole thing left a bitter aftertaste. I fear real, serous fact-checking of some of his claims won’t be done for fear of journalists/outlets being slammed with accusations of anti-semitism. And let’s face it, there were countless atrocities by Hamas on Oct. 7 (and since) that deserved mention. Of course, Hamas having been in charge of Gaza for ten years was Netanyahu’s doing along with his support of their rule during that time. He left that part out. He also left out both leaving the area over the fence into Israel vulnerable by shifting so many forces to the West Bank. And the fact Israel had the plans for the attack we saw a year before it happened AND had reports of them practicing on their side (those motorized paragliders for example) in the few weeks before.
But one moment stood out to me. Citing four thousand years of Jews living in Israel Netanyahu damn near shouted it was THEIR land. Hey, that’s a lot of history and ancestry but the fact is that Palestinians have been there all that time too. However, it’s long been apparent that for Netanyahu and his ilk none of that matters. He might as well have said the unspoken part he clearly believes – that Israel belong to Jewish people and ONLY Jewish people and one way or the other Palestinians are going to go. On their own or be driven out but their own ancestry that goes back every bit as far as Jewish people’s doesn’t count for jack sh*t. Moderation and conciliation my a$$.
However let’s get back to the situation since Oct. 7. Hamas had murderous intent but despite warnings Bibi and his govt./the IDF command blew it off. Israel had and still has every right to defend itself and his people. It also has every right to go into Gaza and root out it’s leadership. If the kill any of them on the spot when they find them I say good riddance. However, for all his protestations this afternoon about how carefully Israel has conducted it’s campaign in Gaza, how they’ve taken enormous, unprecedented in any war in history efforts to protect innocent civilians I call bullshit. Just like much of the world.
Hamas might have and in fact has during attempts to negotiate the return of hostages and the bodies of those killed (or who have died in captivity) blown up negotiations but so has Netanyahu. Including recently and in fact right now. This minute. It’s in his power to affect the release of those hostages and return of bodies of the dead. He’s refusing and as The Hill reports the famlies weren’t at all happy with his speech today:
And families of hostages in attendance showed virtually no enthusiasm for the message from the prime minister, who they accuse of frustrating all efforts to secure a cease-fire deal to bring home the 120 people still held captive by Hamas, including eight Americans.
“It is known in Israel, some people do believe that a dead hostage is better than a live one. One such person for whom a dead hostage poses far less embarrassment than a live one has the audacity to try to coerce the American Congress into his twisted ploy,” Zahiro Shahar Mor, whose uncle is still held hostage by Hamas, told a group of Democrats ahead of Netanyahu’s speech on Wednesday.
There was also this:
Or Gat, whose mother was murdered on Oct. 7 and whose sister is still held in Gaza, at times put his head in his hands as Netanyahu defended his record.
“To listen to him, nine months of war that is tearing Israel apart … to hear him speaking about it, and people applauding here in the Congress, which they have done more work for the hostages than him, for me it’s a shame, it’s an anger,” Gat said.
Well, whatever Bibi suggested to Johnson, the WH and others that he’d strike a statesmanlike tone was a load of crap. He came loaded for bear with a message almost Trumpian about being ‘perfect’ in his prosecution of the war. Complete with some visible resentment if not actual anger over being questioned. It’s true some protesters have been way the hell out of line but there has been plenty of legitimate questioning of Bibi’s/Israel’s actions from not just protesters, but politicians too and not just in the U.S. Yet he stood there and SCOLDED them all with equal passion:
“You have officially become Iran’s useful idiots,” Netanyahu told the protesters, underscoring a unifying theme of his remarks: that Iran is cheering Israel’s destruction as a step toward threatening the U.S.
“In the heart of the Middle East, standing in Iran’s way, is one proud pro-American democracy, my country, the state of Israel.”
Netanyahu not so subtly suggested elected officials who had issues with him were no better than protesters on college campuses. If Moses Mikey Johnson bought Bibi’s line about wanting to turn down the heat he got suckered. Some are already calling it the worst address by a foreign head of state to Congress ever. I’d imagine Bibi’s meeting with President Biden tomorrow will be more than a little “interesting.” For my money this whole thing was even more of a disgrace than his being allowed to address Congress in 2016. I truly believe his goal today was what it was then, to use that extraordinary platform to influence out election – in favor of Trump.
As for the hostages and hopes Bibi would use today to close the deal to release them? Hell no was his answer to that question. Or more like “piss off families of those hostages.” I’ll give Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi the last word (For some reason the tweet won’t embed but here’s the text):
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. Many of us who love Israel spent time today listening to Israeli citizens whose families have suffered in the wake of the October 7th Hamas terror attack and kidnappings. These families are asking for a ceasefire deal that will bring the hostages home – and we hope the Prime Minister would spend his time achieving that goal.
Netanyawho needs to keep the conflict going, so that he retains support from the extreme far right ‘settler’ loons that are propping up his government.
And it’s not just for political power, in a very Trumpian way, once he loses power and Israel isn’t at war, he’ll find himself before the courts, charged, convicted, and imprisoned, for his many crimes of corruption.
You all are aware, of course, that the Palestinians refer to themselves as ‘Failistini’ – now spell that with a ‘Ph’ instead of an ‘F’ (same sound) and doesn’t it sound familiar to the bunch in the Bye-Bull that the Israelites really hated?
Sooo, who has been there the longest (especially in the coastal areas)?????