When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the U.S. Congress on July 24, it was his fourth time doing so – more than any other foreign leader. Given that the invitation, and the speech itself, divided Democrats – and Congress – it’s easy to wonder why Netanyahu made the trip at all. After all, his speech would likely widen the gap between Republicans and Democrats over what “support” for Israel means, and heighten Jewish Israeli anger and frustration with Netanyahu and his policies.
Netanyahu had three priorities in coming to Washington: Reinforce Republican support for Israel, boost support for Israeli security policy across the American political spectrum, and show Israelis that he is a competent leader with the backing of the United States.
Republicans cheered Netanyahu – again
As Netanyahu entered the chamber to deliver his speech, there was wild whistling and cheering from the Republican side. Netanyahu played that up, peppering his speech with references to Israeli military exploits and proclaiming Israel’s shared democratic values with the United States. He also focused on Iran as the enemy of both Israel and America. All of these are popular beliefs among Republicans (notwithstanding antisemitism within the party itself).
It was a bombastic speech, painting a graphic picture not just of Israel’s struggle against “the monsters,” but of a world on the brink. Netanyahu proclaimed that the world is in upheaval, caught in a clash “between barbarism and civilization.” His repeated references to specific covert operations and military actions that he had authorized seemed an effort to boost his credentials as a brilliant war leader.
On these things, Republican lawmakers seemed Netanyahu’s primary target, though they were already sold on his version of Middle Eastern and American politics. Despite increasing, and increasingly fervent, criticism of Israeli foreign policy, Israel remains deeply embedded in the American popular psyche. This is especially true regarding conservative and Republican support for Israel.
Did Netanyahu boost – or undermine – U.S.-Israel relations?
Netanyahu spoke about the bilateral relationship, making references to longstanding shared values and the importance of the U.S.-Israel military alliance. He compared Hamas’s vicious Oct. 7 assault on Israel to the attacks on the United States on Dec. 7, 1941, and Sept. 11, 2001.
Iran was the crucial prop in Netanyahu’s argument for maintaining a strong U.S.-Israel alliance. He claimed Iran has a “maniacal” plan to “impose radical Islam on the world,” harkening back to widespread misperceptions about Islam and Muslims in the aftermath of Sept. 11. He also claimed that the real war that Iran was trying for was with the United States. Israel, he said, is a “pro-American democracy” standing in the way of Iran’s conquest of the Middle East. He even claimed that the recent U.S. campus protests against Israeli military action in Gaza were funded and promoted by Iran. “For all we know,” Netanyahu said, “Iran is funding the anti-Israel protests that are going on right now outside this building.”
Netanyahu is right to worry about U.S. support – up to a point
It’s true that U.S. and Israeli interests have been diverging in recent years. The United States is a world power with multiple and varied interests, while Israel is a regional power whose primary concern is fending off security threats from its neighbors. Israel’s harsh policies toward the Palestinians – including its refusal to consider an independent Palestinian state – have alienated many Americans. The seemingly permanent occupation and siege of the West Bank and Gaza Strip have contributed to Americans’ increasingly unfavorable views of Israel, though positive attitudes still greatly outweigh negative ones. And Israel’s turn to illiberalism doesn’t sit well with segments of both the American political elite and the general population.
A bipartisan consensus on Israel has long been a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy. But attacks on the Obama administration – including personal attacks on Obama himself – by Netanyahu and his political allies helped drive a wedge between Republicans and Democrats over how to support Israel.
Still, the bilateral relationship rests on much more than any one leader. Although Netanyahu asked Washington this week for the tools to defeat Hamas, the U.S. already provides considerable military aid to Israel. This includes a regular $3.8 billion annual commitment through 2028.
His message was also aimed at critics at home
Long before the Oct. 7 attack, Netanyahu was deeply unpopular in Israel. One reason he keeps winning elections is that voters do not see a viable alternative. But his inability to lay out a coherent strategy to the war and the postwar settlement as well as his callous treatment of the families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas has undermined views of him even more. The address to Congress was at least in part an effort to shore up domestic support by showing Netanyahu as a world leader with strong backing from the United States.
Most of the speech focused in one way or another on the war with Hamas. Although he never specified what victory would look like, Netanyahu repeatedly spoke about Israel ultimately defeating Hamas. His one brief mention of the postwar settlement was to say that Gaza would be demilitarized yet under Israeli military control, administered by Palestinian civilians – popular ideas among Israeli Jews.
Netanyahu referenced the Land of Israel being the Jewish homeland, which appealed to the right-wing members of his coalition. And, as he usually does in his speeches on Israeli security, he used the phrase “never again,” a phrase associated with Israeli resistance to stop a Holocaust-like event from happening again.
He also took aim at international courts, which Israeli Jews have long been suspicious of. He tied International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan’s announcement of Israeli war crimes in Gaza to the blood libel against Jews that began in Europe in the 12th century.
What will Netanyahu’s speech accomplish?
In the end, nothing Netanyahu said in the speech will convince his audiences to change their minds about anything. Instead, his words and fervent delivery will reinforce preexisting views and concerns.
Republicans will still believe Israel is a like-minded ally that deserves virtually unconditional support. Democrats will continue to be divided over how much support Israel needs, and what form that support should take. The U.S.-Israel relationship remains strong, despite growing cracks in the foundation.
In Israel, the speech reinforced frustration, irritation, and resentment at how Netanyahu has handled the war. Families of the remaining hostages were particularly upset that Netanyahu did not use the speech to advocate for their return. Among Israeli politicians, most of the praise that Netanyahu did receive for his words came from the far right.
Netanyahu may have traveled a long way, but he remained more or less in the same place.
Brent E. Sasley is a 2024-2025 Good Authority fellow.
