On the first day of his visit to the United States, Prime Minister Netanyahu dedicated his time to preparing his speech, which he will deliver to the US Congress this Wednesday, July 24, at 9:00 PM Israel Standard Time.
Although Netanyahu has claimed on several occasions that he dedicates no less than a week to writing a speech, his final revisions and refinements are always done in the final stretch.
The numerous schedule changes within the schedule worked in Netanyahu's favor. The American side postponed his meeting with President Joe Biden, initially scheduled for Tuesday, citing the president's ongoing COVID-19 symptoms. This postponement of the White House meeting gave Netanyahu a few extra hours to work on his speech.
Until recently, the content of Netanyahu's speech concerned Biden's team. Democrats remember well Netanyahu's previous speech to Congress in 2015, which was perceived as confrontational and defiant toward then-President Barack Obama.
However, a week ago, during the strategic dialogue between Israel and the US in Washington, senior administration officials approached Israeli representatives, National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, asking for insight on the key messages Prime Minister Netanyahu intends to convey in his speech.
Hanegbi and Dermer reassured the American side, explaining that Netanyahu is preparing a statesmanlike speech devoid of attacks or criticism of the Biden administration and that the prime minister intends to convey a message of peace. According to sources close to Netanyahu, the speech will certainly address Israel's aspiration for regional peace, emphasizing the desire to reach a historic agreement with Saudi Arabia and thereby expand the Abraham Accords.
Additionally, Netanyahu plans to highlight Iran's involvement in Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, as well as the hostile activities of various regional actors who are effectively Iran's proxies threatening the State of Israel.
Israel on the international stage
Another significant emphasis for Netanyahu is the close cooperation between Israel and the United States, a relationship and partnership that would not influenced by the outcome of US elections and does not change based on the sitting president's policies.
It is noted that in the run-up to the speech, those close to the prime minister considered inviting a number of European leaders known to be the most friendly to Israel to Congress.
The leaders of Italy, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and others were mentioned. However, incumbent leaders are unlikely to be willing to stand in the audience while the Israeli Prime Minister takes center stage.
Ahead of Netanyahu's speech, the office of Vice President Kamala Harris explained that Harris would not be present "due to scheduling constraints."