The top of the news today was a stirring, forceful, tough, and bipartisan speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in front of a joint session of Congress.
In just a moment we will be joined by House Speaker Mike Johnson to talk about Netanyahu's brilliant speech and some other matters, but first up I want to play some clips from the speech itself and I begin with this Reaganesque declaration from Prime Minister Netanyahu. Take a listen:
NETANYAHU: "For the forces of civilization to triumph, America and Israel must stand together. Because when we stand together, something very simple happens. We win. They lose."
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I love that "we win, they lose." That was one of Reagan's favorite lines about the old communist Soviet Union. Throughout the speech, the Israeli Prime Minister took great care to conjoin Israel and the United States.
NETANYAHU: "Our enemies are your enemies. Our fight is your fight and our victory will be your victory."
He also took great care to make his appeal a bipartisan one. First, to President Biden, take a listen:
NETANYAHU: "I want to thank President Biden for his tireless efforts on behalf of the hostages, and for his efforts to the hostage families, as well. // He rightly called Hamas sheer evil."
Then, to Former President Trump:
NETANYAHU: "I want to thank President Trump for his leadership in brokering the historic Abraham Accords. // To recognizing Jerusalem as our capital and moving the American embassy there."
Mr. Netanyahu spared no scorn for pro-Hamas protesters when he said this:
NETANYAHU: "Well, 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."
He also rebutted charges that Israeli troops were using excessive force among civilians in Gaza. Plus, he cited impressive numbers rebutting another criticism – that Israel is somehow starving Gaza. Take a listen to this:
NETANYAHU: "Israel has enabled more than 40,000 aid trucks to enter Gaza. That's half a million tons of food, and that's more than 3,000 calories for every man, woman and child in Gaza. If there are Palestinians in Gaza who aren't getting enough food, it's not because Israel is blocking it. It's because Hamas is stealing it."
Then, the Prime Minister defended the Israel Defense Forces, calling the soldiers "unbowed, undaunted, unafraid" and referred to them biblically as the "lions of Israel" – making it very clear that Israel intends to complete its destruction of Hamas and continue the fight and that fight includes the fight against Hezbollah, the fight against Houthis, and, most importantly, the fight against the terrorist banker and puppeteer – Iran. Then, he concluded with this:
NETANYAHU: "May God bless Israel. May God bless America and may God bless the great alliance between Israel and America forever."
I will conclude with this thought: Bibi Netanyahu was at the top of his game today in his Congressional address, and I think he did himself and the cause of Israel a lot of good. President Biden has too often been too ambiguous about supporting our number one Middle East ally and the Democrats' new standard-bearer, Kamala Harris, has too often criticized Israel in public, and in even worse terms in private.
Israel's natural political ally is Donald Trump, who will meet with Netanyahu in Mar-a-Lago on Friday, but the prime minister was wise to make today's speech a bipartisan one.
The Israeli cause is just, and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed a ton of energy in defending that cause today and I thought it's just what the doctor ordered.
This article is adapted from Larry Kudlow’s opening commentary on the July 24, 2024, edition of "Kudlow."
