The Very People Netanyahu Claims to Represent Rejected Him
SlateAhead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before Congress on Wednesday, an old Washington Post article made the rounds anew on social media: Four years ago, the paper reported, the Netanyahus had brought loads of literal dirty laundry with them to D.C. so that they might get it cleaned while on official business. It was also Rep. Jerry Nadler, self-described “representative of the largest and most diverse Jewish community in any congressional district in the United States,” calling Netanyahu “the worst leader in Jewish history since the Maccabean king who invited the Romans into Jerusalem over 2100 years ago.” And for all of Netanyahu’s talk of the U.S.–Israel relationship, Nadler was not the only member of Congress protesting his presence. Per Axios, “Roughly 100 House Democrats and 28 Senate Democrats were present in the chamber for the Israeli prime minister’s speech, meaning around half of both caucuses were absent.” That included progressive Jewish members like Rep. Becca Balint ; Rep. Robert Garcia, formerly backed by AIPAC; and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a longtime member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who said, “Now is not the time for Prime Minister Netanyahu to be in DC—he should be in Israel working to finalize a ceasefire deal that sees the safe return of all hostages and relief for the Palestinian people.” The count did not include Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman elected to Congress, who attended the speech in a kaffiyeh and held a sign that read “War Criminal” on one side and “Guilty of Genocide” on the other. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi described the speech on social media as “by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary invited and honored with the privilege of addressing the Congress of the United States.” The richest moment of the address came when, in speaking of the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life, Netanyahu said there is no room for political violence in democracy.
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