Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu told US lawmakers "our
enemies are your enemies" in a landmark speech to Congress intended to
rally support for the war against Hamas in Gaza, but marked by pro-Palestinian
protests inside and outside the Capitol.
"When we fight Iran, we're fighting the most radical
and murderous enemy of the United States of America," Mr Netanyahu said.
"Our fight is your fight, and our victory will be your
victory," he added.
The Israeli leader received a raucous reception from mostly
Republican politicians as he delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress,
his fourth.
But growing political divisions over the war in Gaza were
underscored by the dozens of Democratic members of Congress deliberately not
present and thousands of protesters on the streets outside.
Crowds gathered by a stage on Capitol Hill decked with
banners, including one declaring the Israeli leader a "wanted war
criminal," a reference to an arrest warrant sought by the prosecutor of
the International Criminal Court.
Five people were arrested inside the Capitol building for
attempting to disrupt Mr Netanyahu's address, according to police.
Addressing the protesters, Mr Netanyahu said: "You have
officially become Iran's useful idiots."
In one of many references to Iran, the Israeli prime
minister claimed an “axis of terror” threatened the US, Israel and the Arab
world, framing it as a “clash of barbarism against civilisations”.
The term riffed off what Iran describes as the "axis of
resistance," an alliance across the Middle East including the Palestinian
armed group Hamas, the Lebanese group Hezbollah and the Houthis, who rule parts
of Yemen.
He told Congress that Iranian proxy forces had attacked
American targets, adding that Iran believes that "to truly challenge
America it must first conquer the Middle East".
"But in the heart of the Middle East, standing in
Iran's way, is one proud pro-American democracy: my country, the state of
Israel."
Speaking for over an hour, Mr Netanyahu deflected criticism
of Israel and framed the war in Gaza as his country’s battle for survival, in a
pitch for further US military aid.
He thanked the US for providing Israel with "generous
military assistance" for decades, adding that in return Israel had
provided the US with critical intelligence that had "saved many
lives".
But he called for a process of "fast-tracking" US
military aid, claiming this could expedite an end to the war in Gaza and help
prevent a broader regional war.
Quoting British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's appeal to
the American people during World War Two, he said: "Give us the tools and
we'll finish the job."
Mr Netanyahu did not discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza
at length, except to maintain that Israel delivers enough food aid to provide
each person with 3,000 calories. If Gaza's residents were not getting food, he
said, it was because "Hamas steals it".
Outlining his vision for the Gaza Strip after the war, he
called for "a demilitarised and deradicalised" enclave under Israeli
military control.
"Gaza should have a civilian administration run by
Palestinians who do not seek to destroy Israel. That's not too much to
ask," he said.
He made no reference to the prospect of an eventual
two-state solution, something President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala
Harris - who is likely to replace him as the Democratic Party nominee - want.
