Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to present a new plan to combat Iran’s regional aggression when he delivers an address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday afternoon.
He will give his speech as the IDF is fighting a war against three Iranian proxy groups: Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah along its border in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen.
“Netanyahu will present the challenge facing Israel, the countries of the region, and the United States from Iran’s axis of evil – and present a new way of dealing with this challenge,” a source who is traveling with the prime minister said.
Netanyahu landed in Washington on Monday night and spent Tuesday largely working on his speech. The prime minister has been harshly criticized by vocal pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli portions of the American public over the IDF’s conduct in Gaza and also within Israel for his firm stances with regard to a hostage deal.
Netanyahu in his speech plans to present the “righteousness” of Israel’s battle against Hamas and the “bravery” of the IDF fighters, the source said. Already in 2011, Netanyahu had warned Congress about Hamas, which on October 7, 2023, invaded southern Israel, killing over 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages.
Netanyahu stands firm on IDF withdrawal
Negotiations for a deal to secure the remainder of the 120 hostages have been in their closing phase for weeks, with an Israeli team set to leave for Doha on Thursday.
Netanyahu has stood firm on key principles, including a refusal to allow for a full IDF withdrawal during the first phase of a three-phase deal. The initial proposal first unveiled by US President Joe Biden at the White House on May 31 did not call for such a withdrawal, which would bring about a lull in the fighting.
Security officials have since said that such a move was possible if necessary to make a deal. The deal does call on Israel to deal with the issue of a permanent ceasefire starting on day 16 of the first phase. Indirect talks with Hamas on the matter would continue, with the issue resolved before the start of phase two.
Hamas has insisted that Israel must agree to a permanent ceasefire and a full IDF withdrawal from Gaza. The US has hoped that the lull in the fighting in phase one will lead to a permanent ceasefire, but one in which Hamas would no longer rule Gaza.
Netanyahu stood firm on his principled point that Hamas must be fully defeated. In his congressional speech, he will speak about the importance of achieving “a complete victory over Hamas.”