On January 24, 2024, the criminally indited Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a speech on the floor of the US Congress and to Israelis. He’s so unpopular in Israel that this was literally the only way he could speak to them. He presented a forceful defense of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, as a battle for survival of the Jewish state. He made almost no mention of the tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians killed in its drive to destroy Hamas; or the hostages still being held in captivity by Hamas in Gaza.

See: Fact-checking Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s claims in his address to Congress/ PBS

On July 25, 2024, he’ll be in talks in different time slots with the democrats, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the now presumptive presidential nominee. I can only pray that Prime Minister Netanyahu seriously considers their counsel but I’m not holding my breath. After all, as soon as he can, he’s heading down to Mir-a-Lago to engage in a tete-a tete with the GOP MAGA ex-president. He’ll be sharing whatever POTUS Biden and VP Harris said to him.

Many critics, including me have been convinced that he’s delayed, prevaricated made excuses galore for not signing unto a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in the hopes that he can buy time in case the GOP MAGA ex-president manages to win the presidency. But even the US ex-president in recent times, has publicly indicated that he wants Israel to make a ceasefire deal immediately and to cut his losses. I’m betting that he’s planning to create a wedge issue.

See: Netanyahu Looks Like a Small Leader at a Historic Moment/ NYT

As per the July 24, 2024 New York Times report regarding Netanyahu’s speech to Congress by Annie Karni and David E. Sanger, “Netanyahu Delivers a Forceful Defense of Israel to Applause in Congress:”

Excerpts:

“The fact of Mr. Netanyahu’s speech was almost as notable as anything he said. In the face of increasing international censure and dissent both in Israel and in the US, Mr. Netanyahu was seeking to use Congress to lift his sagging political fortunes. Leaders in both parties obliged with a bipartisan invitation to receive him.”

“But in the House chamber as he spoke, there was clear evidence of how the longstanding bipartisan consensus to back Israel has eroded in Congress since the offensive in Gaza that followed the Oct. 7 attack that killed roughly 1,200 Israelis.”

“The substantial number of Democratic no-shows included 2 top senators and Representative Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker, who later panned the speech as “by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary invited and honored with the privilege of addressing the Congress of the US.” In a social media post, she said Mr. Netanyahu should be spending his time working for a cease-fire deal that would bring home the remaining hostages held by Hamas.”

“As more than 5,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators massed on streets near the Capitol, Mr. Netanyahu dismissed those who have built encampments on college campuses around the country as “Tehran’s useful idiots.”

“That line brought him huge applause, though the standing ovations Mr. Netanyahu received were mostly partisan, as Republicans clapped loudly and Democrats hung back, some sitting silently. The speech appeared to be aimed at an Israeli audience to demonstrate that his leadership is critical for the state’s well-being, and that Mr. Netanyahu alone can serve as Israel’s protector.”

“The prime minister said nothing about the intelligence his country had collected ahead of the Oct. 7 attack that warned a brutal terror strike was brewing. He called out the military heroes of that day but made no mention of the slow response of the Israeli defense forces.”

“He did, however, hint at some flexibility in negotiations for a cease-fire and prisoner-release deal, just days after Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said those talks were at “the 10-yard line.” He stopped short of saying Hamas had to be destroyed, a line he has used in the past to slow talk of such an agreement.”

“Mr. Netanyahu appeared aware of those politics in trying to strike a bipartisan tone.”

“He emphasized that Israel is a strategic asset and deserves America’s support, praising both President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump. He did not mention Ms. Harris, whom he is set to meet on Thursday.”

“He came to Israel to be with us in our darkest hour,” Mr. Netanyahu said of Mr. Biden’s visit to Israel shortly after the Oct. 7 attack, thanking him for being a self-proclaimed “proud Irish American Zionist.”

“Since that visit, the relationship between the two men has turned poisonous at moments, culminating in Mr. Biden’s decision to withhold 2,000-pound bombs from Israel, for fear Mr. Netanyahu would use them in crowded cities.”

“Even as he thanked the United States effusively for supporting Israel, Mr. Netanyahu gently hinted at his suspicion that the Biden administration is slowing arms shipments for leverage, saying: “Give us the tools faster, and we’ll finish the job faster.”

“The prime minister tried to remind Congress of the attack that began the war, graphically describing what happened on Oct. 7, when 3,000 Hamas attackers stormed into Israel, killing and kidnapping civilians. “They burned babies alive,” he said.”

“And he placed the war in the context of the struggles of Jews throughout history, including the Holocaust. “After Oct. 7, ‘Never Again’ is now,” he said, emphasizing the historical right of the Jewish people to the land of Israel.”

“In a nod to the deep political divisions the war has sown in the US, Mr. Netanyahu condemned Americans who have protested his tactics — including large swaths of the Democratic Party — equating criticism of his conduct of the war with sympathy for terrorists.”

“Many choose to stand with evil, they stand with Hamas, they stand with rapists and murderers,” Mr. Netanyahu said of pro-Palestinian protesters. “They should be ashamed.”

“For all we know, Iran is funding the anti-Israel protests that are going on right now, outside this building,” he added. He did not cite evidence for that assertion, although he noted U.S. intelligence officials have warned of Iranian attempts to influence protests.”

“Senator Ben Cardin, the Maryland Democrat who presided over the joint meeting after others in his party declined, said later that while he had mostly been encouraged by Mr. Netanyahu’s address, his castigation of the protesters was concerning.

“I’m not a big fan of a lot of the protesters, but they have a right to protest as long as they don’t interfere with someone else’s rights,” Mr. Cardin, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said. “I thought the prime minister’s comments about them — characterizing them all in a certain way — was not as I would have liked to have seen.”

“Mr. Netanyahu’s visit was fraught for Democrats, some of whom wanted to show support for the state of Israel while at the same time criticizing its current leader. Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of NY and the majority leader, who has harshly criticized Mr. Netanyahu, did not shake hands with him when he entered the chamber.”

“Benjamin Netanyahu is the worst leader in Jewish history since the Maccabean king who invited the Romans into Jerusalem over 2,100 years ago,” Representative Jerrold Nadler, Democrat of NY, said in a statement ahead of the speech. Still, he sat in the chamber, and rose to applaud Mr. Netanyahu throughout his address.”

“Jeremy Ben-Ami, the president of J Street, a liberal pro-Israel advocacy group, criticized the speech for failing to offer “an actual plan for ending the war and bringing real security and peace to the region.” In a statement, he added: “His empty calls for ‘total victory’ are simply an illusion, as there is no military solution to the underlying conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.”

“Representative Thomas Massie, Republican of Kentucky, said that he would not attend an event he considered “political theater.” In a social media post, Mr. Massie said, “the purpose of having Netanyahu address Congress is to bolster his political standing in Israel.”