Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress on Wednesday, July 24, and spoke mainly about US-Israel relations and the Israeli military action in Gaza that followed the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Amongst those things Netanyahu said was a joke about the pro-Gaza protesters who don’t quite seem to understand what they are supporting.
Particularly, Netanyahu took aim at the protesters who wave “Gays for Gaza” signs, noting that they don’t seem to understand the very impermissive attitude toward homosexuality present in Gaza. He said, joking about those 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.’” As could be expected, that comment drew chuckles from some Republican members of Congress but gasps and anger from many others.
“I have a message for these protesters. When the tyrants of Tehran, 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,” Netanyahu later said, again commenting on the anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters who don’t seem to understand what or whom they are supporting.
Watch him here:
Netanyahu’s speech sent the left into meltdown mode. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, for example, who held up a small sign saying “War Criminal” as Netanyahu spoke, wrote, in a post retweeted by Rep. AOC, “I will never back down in speaking truth to power. The apartheid government of Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians. Palestinians will not be erased. Solidarity with all those outside of these walls in the streets protesting and exercising their right to dissent.”
Rep. AOC, in a post of her own, commenting on the relatively poor attendance from Congress, said, “Just so we’re clear, Netanyahu has lost so many people that he is addressing just a fraction of Congress. When this happens, they fill the seats with non-members, like what they do at award ceremonies, in order to project the appearance of full attendance and support.”
Rep. AOC also said, in a post about Netanyahu and his alleged crimes, “It is a dark day in US history when an authoritarian with warrant requests from the International Criminal Court is allowed to address a joint session of Congress. 40k Palestinians are dead. Hostages aren’t home. Netanyahu is a war criminal. I will be boycotting his address.”
Also joining in was Nina Power, who, in a post retweeted by Rashida Tlaib, wrote, “We wonder why our babies are starving in America? Why we have a corrupt healthcare system? Why we lack clean food, air and water? Look at our Congress. Look at them shower a man who has starved Gaza, bombed hospitals, and murdered tens of thousands of people.”
In another post, Rep. Tlaib wrote. “Netanyahu is a war criminal committing genocide against the Palestinian people. It is utterly disgraceful that leaders from both parties have invited him to address Congress. He should be arrested and sent to the International Criminal Court.”
Ilhan Omar, in a statement, wrote, “I will not be attending Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress. It is utterly immoral and cruel to the millions of lives impacted by his catastrophic actions to platform him, let alone give him the honor of addressing Congress. He is a war criminal who is actively committing genocide against the Palestinian people while putting the lives of the hostages and the stability of the region in jeopardy. I fully agree with the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice that he should be held accountable for his crimes, not addressing Congress.”
She continued, “Benjamin Netanyahu and his government are now responsible for the murder of over 38,000 Palestinians and injuring over 88,000. From deliberately withholding food, water, and medicine from innocent civilians to bombing refugee camps and schools-Netanyahu has created one of the worst humanitarian disasters in modern history. We should be standing unequivocally and consistently on the side of human rights-today’s joint address runs counter to this. Netanyahu has actively sabotaged hostage deals, which is why my ticket will be going to a family member of an Israeli hostage. Not only is this address shameful, it damages our standing at home and abroad. For those reasons, I reiterate my, and millions of Americans, calls to stop using our tax dollars to fund a genocide on our watch.”
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