‘If you remember one thing, one thing from this speech, remember this: Our enemies are your enemies,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his historic recent speech to Congress.
“Our fight is your fight. And our victory will be your victory... when we stand together, something very simple happens. We win. They lose.”
It was the key moment of a speech that sought to achieve many things, and finally put to bed an accusation that had hung over him for far too long. Netanyahu had long been unfairly plagued by the accusation that he involved himself too much in America’s domestic politics and that he favored the Republican Party too openly.
Yet, even those who professionally parse every movement and count every word would be hard-pressed to discern any political favoritism in Netanyahu’s speech. He extolled both President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump equally, mentioning, four times, the achievements and support of both.
Arguably, more than anything, Netanyahu’s speech was a rallying cry for unity. For unity of purpose between the United States and Israel, and within each of those nations.
Netanyahu thanked Biden for his help with his “tireless efforts on behalf of the hostages,” and “heartful support for Israel after the savage attack on October 7,” quoting him as “a proud Irish American Zionist.”
Israel’s prime minister expressed his gratitude to former president Trump for “his leadership in brokering the historic Abraham Accords” and for everything he had done for Israel, such as recognizing Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, and confronting Iranian aggression.
The speech was clearly and cleverly crafted to end any charge of partisanship.
Unfortunately, Netanyahu’s efforts were not reciprocated.
While the official invitation for him to speak was a display of bipartisanship signed by Democratic and Republican leaders, in the House itself, one party let itself and the US-Israel relationship down. Reportedly, around half of House and Senate Democrats skipped the speech.
Noticeably absent were many on the extremist fringes of the party, the Squad members, as expected, and Democratic stalwarts like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The latter had hypocritically criticized Netanyahu’s speech even before he arrived in the US. Pelosi herself, for many years, has railed against the prime minister’s supposed partisanship.
Democrats should stand with Israel
Regardless of what these critics think of Netanyahu, they should have risen above their petty personal ideologies and domestic political considerations to show that they stood with the State of Israel; they should have shown respect for the institution of the democratically elected prime minister of the Jewish state.
In peaceful times, this would have been vital; in wartime, this should have been unquestionable.
When Netanyahu entered the room, he spoke on behalf of almost 10 million Israelis, from the Left and Right, religious and secular, Jews and non-Jews. He spoke for the 120 still held hostage, the thousands who have lost loved ones on and since the October 7 massacre, and the tens of thousands of Israelis who are still homeless.
Israel’s prime minister spoke for the tens of thousands of Israelis who have fought and are still fighting against terrorists on their southern and northern border, who remain vigilant against attacks from Iran, Yemen, Syria, and Iraq.
If the Democrats who boycotted Netanyahu’s speech had any consideration for Israel’s “right to defend itself” (the now clichéd bottom-rung sound bite for those who profess to care for the Jewish state) they should have been present. They should have listened to Netanyahu.
Moreover, they should have demonstrated to Israel’s enemies, who are also America’s enemies, whether in Tehran, Beirut, or elsewhere, that while there will be disagreements over some policies, personalities, and issues, the US-Israel relationship remains ironclad.
There must be no daylight between the two nations that enables their enemies to push them further apart. On the question of Israel’s defense and security, there should be no Democrats or Republicans, just Americans.
The Netanyahu speech would have been the perfect moment for this important display of unity. It would have been an “Iron Dome” against our enemies’ genocidal aspirations.
Unfortunately, it was not to be.
Now, with elections looming, American Jews have the chance to send a strong message to the politicians and the party that failed to show up when it was most needed.
American Jewry needs to make our voices and our votes count. We need to send a message that the State of Israel is important to us and will be a major factor when we face the ballot paper in November.
It needs to be made clear to all, that whoever stands with the ancestral and indigenous homeland of the Jewish People at one of its most challenging times will receive our support.
Those who do not, will not.
The writer is a Los-Angeles-based philanthropist and real-estate developer who serves as chairman of the Abraham Accords Roundtable and Golda Meir Commemorative Coin Committee in Washington.