Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed to the patriotic senses of United States Congresspersons, citing that October 7 is “a day that will forever live in infamy,” comparing the attacks to the Pearl Harbor attacks in the Second World War.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has filed an application for an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
If the warrant is awarded, Netanyahu, Gallant, and Sinwar will face risk of arrest when traveling to 124 countries that are members of the ICC, including the United Kingdom, which under the new Labour government, recently retracted motions to oppose the warrant.
Netanyahu’s speech in US Congress was mostly met with applause, though clear oppositions to his presence were made obvious. Protests were made within Congress by many Democratic legislators, who boycotted attending the address. Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who is the first Palestinian-American woman to serve in US Congress, held up a “war criminal” sign during Netanyahu’s address. The other side of her sign displayed “guilty of genocide.”
More than 35,000 men, women, children, and elderly have been killed by Netanyahu’s war in Gaza.
Representative Tlaib wore a keffiyeh, the black and white scarf associated with the struggle for Palestinian liberty, and a Palestininan flag pin. She invited a guest, Hani Almadhoun, who lost more than 150 family members in Netanyahu’s quest to “destroy Hamas.”
Netanyahu’s speech was polluted with factual fallacies. Here is a brief breakdown of them:
- He claims that 1,203 Hamas extremists were killed and 0 civilians were on the Rafah attacks.
- The facts prove that 45 people were killed in Rafah, with dozens killed in rocket strikes before the assault. Israel also targeted schools and self-proclaimed “safe zones.”
- He also claimed that Israel enabled 40,000+ aid trucks into Gaza, with 3,000+ calories for every single Gazan. He blames Hamas for stealing any food that doesn’t reach Gazans.
- In reality, Israel implemented a full-blockade of aid flowing into Gaza, banning medicines, food, and water.
- Before the war, 500 trucks entered into Gaza per day. But now, with only 30,630 aid trucks entering total, 104 trucks enter a day, a measly fifth of the pre-war amount.
- He claims that Iran is funding anti-Israel protests, but there is no evidence proving any pecuniary connection between the two.
Netanyahu concludes by saying “America and Israel must stand together. When we stand together something really simple happens: We win, they lose.”
Protests near the Capitol turned chaotic: protestors spray-painted marble at Union Station and supplanted American flags with Palestinian ones. Officers and protestors fought on the streets with batons and tear gas.
Netanyahu appealed to the far-right legislators in Congress, utilizing partisan divides in the United States government and society to call for aid and support from the United States.
It is essential for viewers in the United States to keep a holistic and realistic view of the situation in Gaza, and research topics from a variety of sources before discerning opinions and viewpoints.
Written by Eshan Korat
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