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Netanyahu seeks support for Gaza war in address to Congress that sparks large protests and boycotts
WASHINGTON (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to bolster U.S. support for his country’s fight against Hamas and other Iran-backed armed groups in a speech to Congress Wednesday that sparked boycotts by some top Democrats and drew thousands of protesters to the Capitol to condemn the war in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis it has created.
“America and Israel must stand together,” said Netanyahu, who wore a yellow pin expressing solidarity with the Israeli hostages held by Hamas. “When we stand together something really great happens: we win, they lose.”
With criticism against him rising in Israel, too, Netanyahu also aims to portray himself as a statesman respected by Israel’s most important ally. That task is complicated by Americans’ increasingly divided views on Israel and the war, which has emerged as a key issue in the U.S. presidential election.
Tall steel barriers ringed the Capitol Wednesday, and security officers deployed on foot, bicycle and with dogs around the building and in hallways inside. Thousands of protesters rallied near the Capitol, denouncing Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and calling for a cease-fire.