Israeli Prime Minister Addresses Joint Meeting of Congress

don't G than to don't here and ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin netanyahu's address scheduled to start in about 20 minutes c-span's live on the house floor taking in some of the preparation for the joint meeting of Congress speaker Mike Johnson will be seated next to Maryland Senator Ben Carden vice president Kamala Harris would normally take that seat next to the speaker but she's not attending the Israeli Prime Minister's address she'll be meeting with him privately just watching live coverage from the US cap here on cpan the house will come to order the acting president proen and the United States Senate [Applause] sound oh you long he w up for go haa for for oh for [Applause] The Joint meeting will come to order the chair appoints as members of the committee on the part of the house to escort his Excellency Benjamin Netanyahu prime minister of the state of Israel into the chamber the gentleman from Louisiana Mr scalise the gentleman from Minnesota Mr emmer the gentlewoman from New York M stefanic gentleman from Pennsylvania Mr Russen thaler the gentleman from Alabama Mr Palmer gentleman from Utah Mr Moore gentoman from Michigan Mrs mlan the gentleman from Texas Mr McCall gentleman from New York Mr Jeff gentlewoman from Massachusetts Miss Clark gentleman from California Mr agalar a gentleman from California Mr Lou the gentoman from Florida Miss waserman Schultz the gentleman from California Mr Sherman gentleman from Illinois Mr Schneider and the gentleman from New Jersey Mr gimer the acting president protemp of the Senate at the direction of that body appoints the following Senators as members of the committee on the part of the Senate to escort his Excellency Benjamin Netanyahu prime minister of Israel into the house chamber the senator from West Virginia Mr Mansion the senator from Arizona Miss Cinema the senator from Pennsylvania Mr fedman the senator from Kentucky Mr McConnell the senator from South Dakota Mr th the senator from Wyoming Mr Brasso the senator from West Virginia Mrs capito the senator from Iowa miss erns the senator from Montana Mr Danes the senator from Iowa Mr Grassley the senator from Idaho Mr R all members of the escort committee will exit the chamber through the lobby doors for the all [Applause] come for this members of Congress I have the high no oh announcement Mr Speaker the dean of the Diplomatic courp [Applause] don't know what they're try to hide oh you I I for oh it's coming out Mr Speaker the prime minister of the state of Israel woo w w w w members of Congress I now have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you you his Excellency Benjamin Netanyahu prime minister of Israel [Applause] Speaker of the House Mike Johnson Senator Ben Cardon minority leader hakee Jeff Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell Senators members of Congress distinguished guests Mr Speaker I want to thank you for giving me the profound honor of addressing this great Citadel of democracy for the fourth time [Applause] we meet today at a Crossroads of History our world is in upheaval in the Middle East Iran's access of Terror confronts America Israel and our Arab friends this is not a clash of civilizations it's a clash between barbarism and civilization [Applause] it's a clash between those who glorify death and those who sanctify [Applause] life for the forces of civilization to Triumph America and Israel must stand together [Applause] because because when we stand together something very simple happens we win they lose and my friends I came to assure you today of one thing we will win ladies and gentlemen like December 7th 19 41 and September 11th 2001 October 7th is a day that will forever live in infamy it was the Jewish holiday of sim it began as a perfect day not a cloud in the sky thousands of young Israelis were celebrating at an outdoor music festival and suddenly at 6:29 a.m. as children were still sleeping soundly in their beds in the towns in kibuts next to Gaza suddenly Heaven turned into hell 3,000 Kamas terrorists stormed into Israel they butchered 1200 people from 41 countries including 39 Americans proportionately compared to our population size that's like 20 91s in one day and these monsters they rape women they beheaded men they burned babies alive they killed parents in front of their children and children in front of their parents they dragged 255 people both living and dead into the dark dungeons of Gaza Israel has already brought home 135 of these hostages including seven who were freed and during rescue [Applause] operations one of those freed hostages no gamman is here in the gallery sitting near my wife Sarah on the [Applause] morning I'm on the morning of October 7th the entire world saw Noah's look of desperation as she was violently abducted to Gaza on the back of a motorcycle I met Noah's mother Leora a few months ago she was dying of cancer she said to me prime minister I have one final wish I wish to hug my daughter Noah one last time before I di two months ago I authorized a breathtaking command or rescue operation our special forces including a heroic officer named Arnon Mora who fell in this battle rescued Noah and three other hostages [Applause] [Applause] Noah I think it's one of the most moving things when Noah was reunited with her mother Leora and her mother's last wish came true Noah were so thrilled to have you with us today thank you many hostage families are also here with us today including el bibas el [Applause] bibas is the grandfather of those two beautiful redheaded Boys the bbus boys toddlers And they were taken hostage with their mother and no sorry and il's Son the entire family was taken hostage two beautiful red-haired children taken hostage what monsters and with us also isim whose son yam bravely escaped Kamas captivity with two others Israelis and tragically they were killed making their way back to our lines we have with us also the families of American hostages they're here the pain these families have endured is beyond words I met with them again yesterday and I promis them this I will not rest until all their loved ones are home all of them [Applause] as we speak we're actively engaged in intensive efforts to secure their release and I'm confident the that these efforts can succeed some of them are taking place right [Applause] now I want to thank President Biden for his tiess efforts on behalf of the hostages and for his efforts to the hostage families as [Applause] well I thank President Biden for his heartfelt support for Israel after the Savage attack on October 7th he rightly called Hamas sheer evil he dispatched two aircraft carriers to the Middle East to deter a wider war and he came to Israel to stand with us during our darkest hour a visit that will never be [Applause] forgotten President Biden and I have known each other for over 40 years I want to thank him for half a century of friendship to Israel and for being as he says a proud Zionist actually he says a proud Irish American [Applause] Zionist my friends for more than nine months Israel's soldiers have shown boundless courage with us [Applause] today with us today is Lieutenant of [Applause] ruen ab is an officer in the Israeli paratroopers his family immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia in the early hours of October 7th AB heard heard the news of hamas's bloody Rampage he put on his uniform grabbed his rifle but he didn't have a car so he ran eight miles to the front lines of Gaza to defend his people you hear that right he ran 8 miles came to the front lines killed many terrorists and saved many many [Applause] lives we all honor your remarkable heroism another Israeli is with us here today and he's standing stand up right next to right next to a this is Master Sergeant Ash Al [Applause] [Applause] bakiri ashra is a veteran soldier from the Israeli Muslim Community of r on October 7th Ash 2 killed many terrorists first defended his comrades in the military base and he then rushed to defend the neighboring communities including the devastated community of kibuts berry like ash like Ashraf the Muslim soldiers of the IDF fought alongside their Jewish Drews Christian and other comrades in arms with tremendous bravery [Applause] a third hero Lieutenant Assa sopur is also here with us [Applause] Assa fought as an officer in the tankor and he was wounded in battle he was wounded in battle while protecting his fellow soldiers from a grenade he lost his right arm and the vision in his left eye he's recovering and and Incredibly within a short time Assa will soon return to active duty as a commander of a tank company I just learned there is a fourth hero here Lieutenant Jonathan Jonathan benu who lost a leg in Gaza and continued to fight my friends these are the soldiers of Israel unbowed undaunted unafraid [Applause] as the Bible says they shall rise like lions they have risen like lions the Lions of Judah the Lions of [Applause] Israel ladies and gentlemen the men and women of the IDE F come from every corner of Israeli Society every ethnicity every color every Creed left and right religious and secular all are imbued with the indomitable Spirit of the mabes the legendary Jewish Warriors of antiquity with us today is Yer the father of one of those mabes y's father escaped the Holocaust and found refuge in America as a Young Man yil moved to Israel and raised a family of eight children he named his eldest son Moshe after his late father Moshe became an exemplary officer in one of our Elite Commander units he served with distinction for two decades while raising six beautiful children of his own on October 7th Moser volunteered to return to Combat 4 Weeks Later he was killed when a booby trapped mine exploded in a tunnel shaft right next to a mosque at his son's funeral yil said this if the state of Israel had not been established after the Holocaust the image engraved in our Collective memory would have been the photograph of that helpless Jewish boy in the waro ghetto holding his hands up in the air with Nazi rifles pointed at him but because of the birth of Israel yil continued because of the courage of soldiers like my son Moshe the Jewish people are no longer helpless in the face of our enemies yil please rise so we can honor your son's sacrifice and I pledge to you and to all the bre families of Israel some of whom are in this Hall today the sacrifice of your loved ones will not be in vain it will not be a vain because for Israel never again must never be an empty promise it must always remain a sacred vow and after October 7th never again is now [Applause] my friends defeating our brutal enemies requires both courage and Clarity Clarity Begins by knowing the difference between good and evil yet incredibly many many anti-israel protesters many choose to stand with evil they stand with Hamas they stand with rape and murderers they stand with people who came into the Kim into a home the parents hid the children the two babies in the Attic in a secret attic they murder the families the parents they find the secret latch to the hidden attic and then they murder the babies these protestors stand with them they should be ashamed of themselves [Applause] [Applause] than [Applause] they refuse to make the simple distinction between those who Target terrorists and those who Target civilians between the Democratic state of Israel and the terrorist thugs of Hamas we recently learned from the National Security director director of us Director of National Intelligence that Iran is funding and promoting anti-is protests in America they want to disrupt America so these protesters burn American flags even on the fourth of July and I wish to salute the fraternity Brothers at the University of North Carolina who protected the American flag protected the American flag against these anti-israel protesters from all we know Iran is funding the anti-israel protests that are going on right now outside this building not that many but they're there and throughout the city while I hav't Meed message for these protesters when the tyrants of tan who hang gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair are praising promoting and funding you you have officially become Iran's useful idiots [Applause] some of these protesters it's amazing absolutely amazing some of these protesters hold up signs proclaiming gays for Gaza they might as well hold up signs saying chickens for KFC these protesters chant from the river to the sea but many don't have a clue what river and what sea they're talking about they not only get an F in geography they get an F in history they call Israel they call Israel a colonialist state don't they know that the land of Israel is where Abraham Isaac and Jacob prayed where Isaiah and Jeremiah preached and where David and Solomon ruled for nearly 4,000 years the land of Israel has been the homeland of the Jewish people it's always been our home it will always be our home it's not only the campus protesters who get it wrong it's also the people who run those campuses 80 years after the Holocaust 80 years after the Holocaust the presidents of Harvard Penn and I'm ashamed to say my alma moer MIT couldn't bring themselves to condemn the cause for the genocide of Jews you remember what they said they said it depends on the context well let me give these befuddled academics a little [Applause] context anti-semitism is the world's oldest hatred for centuries the massacre of Jews was always preceded by wild accusations we were accused of everything from poisoning Wills to spreading plagues to using the blood of slaughtered children to bake Passover matzos these Preposterous anti-semitic lies led to persecution mass murder and ultimately to history's worst genocide the Holocaust now just as malicious lies were leveled for centuries at the Jewish people malicious lies are now being leveled at the Jewish State no no don't applaud listen the outrageous Slanders that paint Israel as racist and genocidal are meant to delegitimize Israel to demonize the Jewish State and to demonize Jews everywhere and no wonder no wonder we've witnessed an appalling right of anti-Semitism in America and around the world my friends whenever and wherever we see the scourge of anti-Semitism we must unequivocally condemn it and resolutely fight it without exception and don't be fooled when the blood lials against the Jewish State come from people who wear fancy silk robes and speak in lofty tones About Law And Justice here's a case in point the prosecutor of the international criminal court has shamefully accused Israel of deliberately starving the people of Gaza this is utter complete nonsense it's a complete fabrication Israel has enabled more than 40,000 Aid trucks to enter Gaza that's half a million tons of food and that's more than 3,000 calories for every man wom and child in Gaza if there are Palestinians in Gaza Gaza who aren't getting enough food it's not because Israel is blocking it it's because Hamas is stealing it so much for that lie but here's another the ICC prosecutor accuses Israel of deliberately targeting civilians what in God's green earth is he talking about the IDF just dropped millions of Flyers sent millions of text messages made hundreds of thousands of phone calls to get Palestinian civilians out of Harm's Way but at the same time Hamas Hamas does everything in its power to put Palestinian civilians In Harm's Way they fire Rockets from schools from hospitals from mosques they even shoot their own people when they try to leave the war zone a senior Hamas official fat Hamad boasted listen to this he boasted that Palestinian women and children excel at Being Human Shields his words excel at Being Human Shields what monstrous evil for Israel every civilian death is a tragedy for Hamas it's a strategy they actually want Palestinian civilians to die so that Israel will be smeared in the international media and be pressured to end the war before it's one this would enable Hamas to survive another day and as they vowed to carry out October 7th again and again and again well I want to assure you no matter what pressure is brought to bear I will never allow that to happen [Applause] the vast majority of Americans have not fallen for this Hamas propaganda they continue to support Israel and I want to say thank you America and thank you senators and house members who continue to support us continue to support Israel continue to support the truth and see through the lies but as for the minority that may have fallen for hamas's Khan's job I suggest you listen to Colonel John Spencer John Spencer is head of urban Warfare studies at West Point he studied every major urban conflict I was going to say in his in modern history he corrected me no in history Israel he said has implemented more precautions to to prevent civilian harm than any military in history and Beyond what international law requires that's why despite all the lies you've heard the war in Gaza has one of the lowest ratios of combatants to non-combatants casualties in the history of urban Warfare and you want to know where it's lowest in Gaza it's lowest in Rafa in Rafa remember what so many people said if Israel goes into Rafa there'll be thousands maybe even tens of thousands of civilians killed well last week I went into Rafa I visited our troops as they finished fighting hamas's remaining terrorist battalions I asked the commander there how many terrorists did you take out in RAF he gave me an exact number 123 I asked him how many civilians were killed he said prime minister practically none with the exception of a single incident where shrap nail from a bomb hit a Hamas weapons Depot and unintentionally killed two dozen people the answer is practically none you want to know why because Israel got the civilians out of Harm's Way something people said we could never do but we did it [Applause] [Music] [Applause] these Heroes here today the heroic soldiers of Israel should not be condemned for how they're conducting the war in Gaza they should be commended for [Applause] it I want to thank all of you here today who forcefully opposed the false accusations of the IC and stood up for the truth these lies are not only lialis they're downright dangerous the ICC is trying to Shackle Israel's hands and prevent us from defending ourselves and if Israel's hands are tied America is next and I'll tell you what else is next the ability of all democracies to fight terrorism will be imperiled that's what's on the line so let me assure you the hands of the Jewish state will never be Shackled Israel will always defend [Applause] [Applause] itself my friends in the Middle East Iran is virtually beyond Behind all the terrorism all the turmoil all the chaos all the killing and that should come as no surprise when he founded the Islamic Republic Ayah pledged we will export our Revolution to the entire world we will export the Islamic revolution to the entire world now ask yourself which country ultimately stands in the way of Iran maniacal plans to impose radical Islam on the world and the answer is clear it's America the guardian of Western civilization and the world's greatest power that's why Iran sees America as its greatest enemy last month we heard a revealing comment sensibly about the war in Gaza but about something else it came from the foreign minister of Iran's proxy kisala and he said this this is not a war with Israel Israel he said is merely a tool the main War the real war is with America Iran's regime has been fighting America from the moment when it came to power in 1979 it stormed the American Embassy it held scores of Americans hostage for 444 days since then Iran's terrorist proxies have targeted America in the Middle East and Beyond in Beirut they killed 241 US servicemen in Africa they bombed American embassies in Iraq they supplied explosives to maim and kill thousands of American soldiers in America in America they actually sent death quads they sent death squads here to murder a former Secretary of State and a former National Security adviser and as we recently learned they even brazenly threatened to assassinate president Trump but Iran understands that to truly challenge America it must first conquer the Middle East and for this it uses its many proxies including the houti hisbah and Hamas yet in the heart of the Middle East standing in Iran's way is one proud pro-american democracy my country the state of Israel [Applause] [Applause] that's why that's why the mobs in Teran chant death to Israel before they chant death to America for Iran Israel is First America is next so when Israel fights Hamas we're fighting Iran when we fight kisala we're fighting Iran when we fight the htis we're fighting Iran and when we fight Iran we're fighting the most radical and murderous enemy of the United States of America and one more thing when Israel acts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons nuclear weapons that could destroy Israel and threaten every American city every city that you come from We're Not only protecting ourselves we're protecting you my friends if you remember one thing one thing from the speech remember this our enemies are your enemies our fight is your fight and our Victory will be your victory [Applause] ladies and gentlemen that Victory is in sight Israel's defeat of Hamas will be a powerful blow to Iran's AIS of Terror another part of that access balah attacked Israel on October 8th a day after the Hamas attack it has launched thousands of missiles and drones against us 80,000 of our citizens in Northern Israel evacuated their homes becoming effectively refugees in their own land we are committed to returning them home we prefer to achieve this diplomatically but let me be clear Israel will do whatever it must do to restore security to our northern border and return our people safely to their [Applause] homes last Friday a third Iranian P proxy the houis attacked Tel Aviv with a deadly drone it exploded a few hundred feet from the American Consulate killing one person and injuring n on Saturday I authorized a swift response to that attack all our enemies should know this Those Who attack Israel will pay a very heavy price and as we defend [Applause] ourselves and as we def ourselves on all fronts I know that America has our back and I thank you for it all sides of the aisle thank [Applause] you my friends for decades America has provided Israel with generous military assistance and a grateful Israel has provided America with critical intelligence that saved many lives we've jointly developed some of the most sophisticated weapons on Earth I choose my words carefully we've jointly developed some of the most sophisticated weapons on Earth that help protect both our countries and we also help we also help keep American boots we help keep Americans boots off the ground while protecting our shared interests in the Middle East [Applause] I deeply appreciate America's support including in this current War but this is an exceptional moment fast-tracking US military aid can dramatically expedite an end to the war in Gaza and help prevent a broader war in the Middle East in World War II as Britain fought on the front lines of civilization Winston church will appeal to Americans with these famous words give us the tools and we'll finish the job today as Israel fights on the front line of civilization I too appeal to America give us the tools faster and will finish the job faster [Applause] my dear friends the war in Gaza could end tomorrow if Kamas surrenders disarms and returns all the hostages [Applause] but if they don't Israel will fight until we destroy hamas's military capabilities end its rule in Gaza and bring all our hostages [Applause] home that's what total victory means and we will settle for nothing [Applause] less the day the day after we defeat Hamas a new Gaza could emerge my vision for that day is of a demilitarized and deradicalized Gaza Israel does not seek to resettle Gaza but for the foreseeable future we must retain overriding security control there to prevent the Resurgence of Terror to ensure sure that Gaza never again poses a threat to [Applause] [Applause] Israel Gaza should have a civilian Administration run by Palestinians who do not seek to destroy Israel that's not too much to ask it's it's a fundamental thing that we have a right to demand and to receive [Applause] a new generation of Palestinians must no longer be taught to hate Jews but rather to live in peace with [Applause] us those twin words demilitarization and deradicalization those two concepts were applied to Germany and Japan after World War II and that led to Decades of peace prosperity and security following our Victory following our Victory with the help of regional Partners the demilitarization and deradicalization of Gaza can also lead to a future of security prosperity and peace that's my vision for Gaza now here's my vision for the broader Middle East it's also shaped in part by what we saw in the aftermath of World War II after that war America forged a security Alliance in Europe to counter the growing Soviet threat likewise America and Israel today can forge a security Alliance in the Middle East to counter the growing Iranian threat all countries that are at peace with Israel and all those countries who will make peace with Israel should be invited to join this Alliance we saw a glimpse we saw a glimpse of that potential Alliance on April 14th led by the United States more than half a dozen Nations worked alongside Israel to help neutralize hundreds of missiles and drones launched by Iran against us thank you President Biden for bringing that Coalition [Applause] together the new alliance I envisioned would be a natural extension of the groundbreaking Abraham Accords those Accords saw peace forged between Israel and four Arab countries and they were supported by Republicans and Democrats alike we could [Applause] call I have a name for this new alliance I think we should call it the Abraham Alliance I want to thank president Trump for his leadership and brokering the historic Abraham Accords [Applause] like Americans Israelis were relieved that President Trump emerged safe and sound from that dastardly attack on him dastardly attack on American democracy there is no room for political violence in democracies I also want to thank president Trump for all the things he did for Israel from recognizing Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights to confronting Iran's aggression to recognizing Jerusalem as our capital and moving the American Embassy there [Applause] that's Jerusalem our Eternal Capital never to be divided [Applause] again my dear friends Democrats and Republicans despite these times of appe I'm hopeful about the future I'm hopeful about Israel because my people the Jewish people emerged from the depths of Hell from dispossession and genocide and Against All Odds we restored our sovereignty in our ancient Homeland we built a powerful and vibrant democracy a democracy that pushes the boundaries of innovation for the betterment of all Humanity I'm hopeful about America because I'm hopeful about Americans I know how much the people of this country have sacrificed to defend Freedom America will be continued to be a force for light and good in a dark and dangerous World for free peoples everywhere America Remains The Beacon of Liberty its extraordinary Founders Envision back in 1776 working together I'm confident that our two Nations will Vanquish the tyrants and terrorists who threaten us both as Israel's prime minister I promise you this no matter how long it takes no how no matter how difficult the road ahead Israel will not relent Israel will not Bend we will defend our land we will defend our people we will fight until we achieve victory victory over Liberty rather victory of Liberty over tyranny victory Of Life over death victory of good over evil that's our solemn commitment [Applause] and we will continue to work with the United States and our Arab Partners to transform a troubled region from a Backwater of repression poverty and War into a thriving Oasis of dignity prosperity and peace in this Noble Mission as in many others Israel will always remain America's indispensable Ally through thick and thin through thick and thin in good times and in bad Israel will always be your loyal friend and your steadfast partner on behalf of the people of Israel I came here today to say thank you America thank you for for your support and solidarity thank you for standing in Israel with Israel in our hour of need together together we shall defend our common civilization together we shall secure a brilliant future for both our [Applause] nations may God bless Israel may God bless America and may God bless the great alliance between Israel and America forever [Applause] h [Applause] thank you 1400 1400 [Applause] [Applause] w go for call the purpose of the joint meeting having been completed the chair declares The Joint meeting of the two houses now dissolved the house will continue in recess subject to the call of the chair prime minister Netanyahu has just wrapped his address of a joint meeting of Congress coming up today at 3:45 p.m. Eastern the house will return to continue work on a spending bill for the upcoming year to fund both the Interior Department and the Environmental Protection Agency Representatives will also be working on a measure to establish a task force to investigate the assassination of