Netanyahu seeks support for Gaza war in address to Congress that sparks large protests and boycotts
Washington, Jul 24: 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.
Netanyahu received a warm welcome from House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican lawmakers who arranged his speech in the House chamber. “Today and every day, America must stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel,” Johnson said shortly before Netanyahu began speaking. He received a bipartisan standing ovation.
Noa Argamani, an Israeli hostage who was freed in a rescue mission in Gaza, was in attendance.
The appearance makes Netanyahu the first foreign leader to address a joint meeting of Congress four times, surpassing Winston Churchill.
More than 50 Democrats and political independent Bernie Sanders boycotted Netanyahu's speech. The most notable absence was right behind him: Vice President Kamala Harris, who serves as president of the Senate, said a long-scheduled trip kept her from attending.
The next Democrat in line, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, declined to attend, so Sen. Ben Cardin, the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, served as “senator pro tempore” in place of her.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat who has family in the West Bank, sat in the House chamber with a keffiyeh, which she often wears, wrapped over her shoulders. Tlaib was censured last year for her strident criticism of Israel's conduct in the war.
Republicans said the absence of Harris, the new Democratic front-runner for the presidency, was a sign of disloyalty to an ally. Former President Donald Trump's running mate, JD Vance, was also a no-show for Netanyahu's speech, citing the need to campaign.
Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden and Harris on Thursday, and with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday.
Many in the swelling crowds of demonstrators protested the killings of more than 39,000 Palestinians in the war. Others condemned Netanyahu's inability to free Israeli and American hostages taken by Hamas and other groups during the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war.
Support for Israel has long carried political weight in U.S. politics. But the usual warm welcome for Netanyahu's visits has been diminished this time around by political turmoil, including the assassination attempt against Trump and Biden's decision not to seek another term.
Many Democrats who support Israel but have been critical of Netanyahu see the address as a Republican effort to cast itself as the party most loyal.
Many Democrats attended the address despite their criticism of Netanyahu, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who called for new elections in Israel in a March floor speech. Schumer, of New York, said then that Netanyahu has “lost his way” and is an obstacle to peace in the region amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
About 60 lawmakers met Wednesday with relatives of those taken hostage by Hamas, and they expressed anger toward Netanyahu. “Because by coming here, he risks making himself the issue, turning the humanitarian issue of the hostages into a political one,” Maya Roman, who had several family members taken hostage, told the lawmakers.
The United States is Israel's most important ally, arms supplier and source of military aid. Netanyahu's visit is his first abroad since the war started, and comes under the shadow of arrest warrants sought against him by the International Criminal Court over alleged Israel war crimes against Palestinians. The United States does not recognize the ICC.
The Biden administration says it wants to see Netanyahu focus his visit on helping it complete a deal for a cease-fire and hostage-release. Growing numbers of Israelis accuse Netanyahu of prolonging the war in order to avoid a likely fall from power whenever the conflict ends.
Netanyahu has said his aims for the U.S. visit are to press for freeing hostages held by Hamas and other groups in Gaza, to build support for continuing Israel's battle against the group, and to argue for continuing to confront Hezbollah in Lebanon and other Iranian-allied groups in the region.
Some Democrats are wary about Netanyahu since he used a 2015 joint address to Congress to denounce then-President Barack Obama's pending nuclear deal with Iran.
Netanyahu used an appearance early Wednesday to focus on Iran, its nuclear program and its network of armed allies. Iran is “behind the entire axis of terror” that threatens the U.S. and Israel, he said, speaking at a memorial for former Sen. Joe Lieberman.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that Iran's nuclear program — which it says is for civilian purposes — was now one to two weeks away from having enough enriched fuel for a nuclear bomb. Blinken said there was no sign Iran had decided to take the final steps to build a bomb.
Hundreds of anti-Israel activists storm the U.S. Capital and stage a sit down protest against Netanyahu before his address to Congress tomorrow.
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) July 23, 2024
They were arrested shortly afterwards.
Is this an insurrection? pic.twitter.com/qq0UksYo04
Welcome to Fort Netanyahu!
— Medea Benjamin (@medeabenjamin) July 24, 2024
DC is rolling out the red carpet, the ten foot high fences, and massive police forces to hide war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu from the protests occurring wherever he goes. If support for Israel is so popular, why can't Netanyahu face the people? pic.twitter.com/63P0tidUqQ
Protesters gathered behind police barriers at the Hotel in Washington, DC, where the Netanyahy was staying, they said they hung the inscription “ WE DEMAND NETANYAHU’S ARRESTS ” on the building, made noise and waved Palestinian flags. pic.twitter.com/ttUViVuTSj
— S p r i n t e r (@SprinterFamily) July 24, 2024
Arrests are beginning as over 400 American Jews refuse to leave Congress, but we won’t leave until our government STOPS ARMING ISRAEL and ENDS THE GENOCIDE of Palestinians in Gaza! pic.twitter.com/ybVpz7Rgh6
— Jewish Voice for Peace (@jvplive) July 23, 2024
The DC Palestinian Youth Movement released maggots and crickets were released throughout the Watergate Hotel where Netanyahu is staying.
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) July 24, 2024
The protestors also pulled multiple fire alarms throughout the night.
This is an utter security failure. pic.twitter.com/3O0XbOvoGx
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Mathura boat capsize tragedy: Death toll climbs to 13
Mathura (UP)(PTI): With the recovery of two more bodies on Sunday, the death toll in the boat capsize incident in the Yamuna river in Mathura has climbed to 13, officials said on Sunday.
Search for three more missing persons is underway.
Superintendent of Police (Rural) Suresh Chandra Rawat said renewed search efforts led to the recovery of the body of a college student, identified as Dinki Bansal, near Devraha Baba Ghat and that of a man identified as Rishabh Sharma approximately 3 km away from the accident site.
The incident occurred on Friday afternoon when a boat carrying over two dozen tourists, primarily from Punjab, hit a floating drum of a pontoon bridge and capsized near Kesi Ghat in Vrindavan.
Most of the victims were from Jagraon and Dugri areas of Ludhiana district.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) along with the district administration and local police were actively engaged in the search for the missing pilgrims.
However, strong currents of the Yamuna river and the significant depth of the water at the ghats are proving a hindrance.
Circle Officer (Mant) Sandeep Singh said the Yamuna river stretch extending from Keshi Ghat to Gokul Barrage has been divided into seven sectors.
The search for the missing individuals will now be conducted within this specific 20-square-km zone. A Station House Officer (SHO) has been designated as the in-charge for each sector.
Acting on the orders of the DIG (Agra Range), seven SHOs will oversee operations across the seven sectors of river Yamuna.
Giving details about the operation, Additional District Magistrate (Finance and Revenue) Pankaj Kumar Verma, citing NDRF officials, on Saturday had said although the search for the missing persons is currently focused within a 14-km radius from the spot where the boat had capsized, there is a possibility that they may have been swept much further downstream.
SHO of Vrindavan police station Sanjay Pandey said boat operator Pappu was arrested late on Friday night.
He is accused of failing to provide life jackets to passengers before allowing them to board the boat, and operating the boat at high speed. This resulted in the boat losing control and colliding with a pontoon bridge's drum, which led to the accident, officials said.
Police have registered a case and also arrested the contractor, Narayan Sharma, responsible for the repair work on the pontoon bridge.
Rawat said that on Friday evening, police registered a case under section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the boatman Pappu (alias Dauji) and Sharma, and subsequently arrested them.
According to the case details, Pappu's boat did not have any safety equipment or provisions whatsoever.
Moreover, despite repeated pleas from pilgrims, Pappu operated the boat at high speed. By the time he realised the danger upon approaching the pontoons of the bridge, it was already too late.
Consequently, after colliding with a pontoon drum, the boat lost control and capsized. It has also come to light that he is among those operators who have not obtained the requisite license to operate a boat.
Sharma was carrying out the work of dismantling and reassembling the pontoon bridge without providing any prior notification.
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