Israeli PM gets a rough welcome in the US but drops Gaza hints

The growing frustration among many Democrats at what they regard as Israel's uncompromising conduct in its war against Hamas militants in Gaza (which has now killed almost 40,000 Palestinian civilians) meant that around 80 Democrats did not attend Netanyahu's speech.

Among the senior Democrats who boycotted the speech were former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Whip in the House Jim Clyburn, and the New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive known as AOC.

Netanyahu hits out

As Netanyahu delivered his address, demonstrations took place throughout the American capital. This included a sit-in at the Capitol organised by Jewish Voice for Peace, an anti-Israel group.

Netanyahu's response to Democrats' less-than-hospitable reception was to commend former US President Donald Trump while denouncing the protesters as "Iran's useful idiots" who "stand with rapists and murderers".

In a fiery speech, Netanyahu thanked Trump for his help with the Abraham Accords, signed at the end of Trump's presidency in 2020. This historic agreement normalised relations between Israel and a number of Arab states.

Netanyahu said he was relieved the former president had survived the assassination attempt earlier this month, before turning to a familiar theme. "In the Middle East, Iran's axis of terror confronts Israel, America and our Arab friends," said Netanyahu.

"This is not a clash between civilisations. It is a clash between barbarism and civilisations. It is a clash between those who glorify death and those who sanctify life."

He added that "for the forces of civilisation to triumph, Israel and America must stand together… We will win!"

Ruling Gaza together

This was the fourth time Netanyahu had been afforded the honour of addressing both the House and the Senate, surpassing British wartime leader Winston Churchill, who addressed a joint session three times.

It was also the 10th time an Israeli leader had addressed America's national legislature. Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated for seeking peace with the Palestinians, began the trend in 1976. Most recently, Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke to both chambers in July last year.

By far the most important passage in Netanyahu's speech was on his plans after hostilities in Gaza end. While vague, he gave a rough outline of Israel's intentions.

The first stage would be for Israel to "retain overriding security control" over the enclave, similar to the policies pursued by the Allies following World War II, when they oversaw the demilitarisation of Japan and Germany.

Wanting to reconcile

This would create the opportunity to establish a new US-Israeli security pact, he said. He called it the Abraham Alliance—an extension of Abraham Accords. A key aim would be to "counter the growing Iranian threat".

Yet Netanyahu's hopes of reviving US support during his visit were overshadowed not just by the Democrats' lack of love but by the media focus on Biden's withdrawal from the 2024 presidential contest, with Harris his replacement.

There is also the thorny issue of the Biden administration's desire to negotiate a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, something Netanyahu has so far sought to frustrate.

If Harris wins the White House, Netanyahu's chances of persuading the US to maintain its support for Israel will become more challenging, so much so that this week's protests and boycotts will seem like the least of his problems.