Blame the Messenger?

Following a lengthy ovation (by those who chose to attend), Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress in a speech where he warned of the danger of Iran, praised and thanked Biden for his support, and vowed to bring back the hostages. “The pain these families have endured is beyond words. I met with them again yesterday and I promised them this: I will not rest until all their loved ones are home. All of them.”

+ Of course, the big question in Israel is whether Bibi has done more to help or to hurt the cause of the hostages and general security. Netanyahu’s Visit to Washington Is Already a Debacle. “No U.S. official met him at the airport when his plane landed. A meeting with President Joe Biden, which had been loosely scheduled for Tuesday, has been postponed till Thursday or Friday, if then. An address to a joint session of Congress is still on for Wednesday, but Vice President Kamala Harris won’t be presiding, citing an out-of-town commitment. Many lawmakers, from both parties, will boycott the session. Outside the Capitol, thousands of protesters will gather—some pro-Palestinian, some Israelis who think Netanyahu shouldn’t be going anywhere before striking a cease-fire and getting the hostages released. Thus the visit will highlight hostility toward Israel and strife within Israel—when the original point of the trip was to dampen both.”

+ “We can’t rely on miracles. We need action to eliminate the threat. Only one action will accomplish this, and that’s to topple the Hamas regime in Gaza. I want to say here and now: We won’t stop … We’ll complete the task. We’ll topple the regime of Hamas terror.” Was that Netanyahu’s speech to Congress today? Nope, it was a speech he gave in 2009. Yair Rosenberg in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Nothing Netanyahu Says Will Matter. Let’s hope the efforts to end the conflict and bring home the hostages do matter, and for once, people are put above political ambitions.