Members of the American Democrat Party voiced their criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to the joint session of Congress on Wednesday after dozens boycotted the event.
The plenary hall appeared relatively full during Netanyahu's address and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a leader of the Democrat's progressive wing who boycotted the speech, claimed that some of the seats for lawmakers were occupied by people who are not members of Congress.
"Netanyahu lost so many people," she tweeted on X, "and when that happens, they fill the seats with non-members – like at award ceremonies – to project an image of full attendance and support."
Ocasio-Cortez, like other Democrats on the far left in the U.S., accused Netanyahu of being a war criminal. "This is a dark day in American history when an authoritarian leader with an arrest warrant request from the International Criminal Court in The Hague is allowed to speak before both houses of Congress," she wrote.
Some media outlets conducted fact-checks of his speech, emphasizing that his claim that almost no civilians were killed in the Rafah operation was incorrect. They also covered the Democratic boycott of the speech in detail.
The exact number of lawmakers who boycotted Netanyahu's speech is not entirely clear, but according to a count by the news site Axios, about half of all Democrats in Congress boycotted: 100 out of 212 Democrats in the House of Representatives and 27 out of 51 Democrats in the Senate. Even if the count is not entirely accurate, it is clear that the number of lawmakers who chose to stay away, was higher than it was for Netanyahu's previous speech to Congress in 2015.
Another prominent progressive congresswoman, Palestinian-American Rashida Tlaib, attended the speech to protest against it wearing a keffiyeh and holding a sign that read "Netanyahu is a war criminal" and "Guilty of genocide."
Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna from Florida, a supporter of Israel, was seen at one point confronting her and trying to get her to lower the sign – but Tlaib continued to hold it up throughout the nearly hour-long speech.
5 View gallery
Rashida Tlaib hold up a sign reading "guilty of genocide," during Netanyahu's address to Congress
(Photo: Anna Moneymaker / AFP)
Protesters Playing into Iran's Hands? "Inappropriate Description"
The angry reactions to Netanyahu's speech did not only come from the progressive camp but also from senior members of the Democratic Party. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also boycotted Netanyahu and claimed after the speech: "Netanyahu's appearance in the House chamber today was by far the worst by a foreign leader invited to address the U.S. Congress." Pelosi added that instead of listening to Netanyahu, she chose to attend an event where she heard from families of hostages held in Gaza and bereaved Israeli families. "The families are calling for a ceasefire to bring the hostages home – and we hope the Prime Minister will use his time to achieve that goal."
Although the White House insisted that it was not a coordinated protest, Vice President Kamala Harris – who, by virtue of her role, is also President of the Senate and was supposed to preside over the session, was also absent from the speech.
She cited scheduling conflicts with an event in Indianapolis that was prearranged. Senator Patty Murray, who was supposed to replace her, boycotted the speech, and instead, Jewish-American Senator Ben Cardin stood behind Netanyahu. Like many Democrats who did attend the session, Cardin was noticeably less enthusiastic with his applause compared to the Republicans, often remaining seated while Johnson stood up in respect.
Cardin, who is considered a supporter of Israel, later criticized the speech, saying he believed Netanyahu did not speak in a "bipartisan" manner, implying that the speech was aimed primarily at conservative audiences in the U.S., perhaps in light of Netanyahu's criticism of the Biden administration and his call for faster delivery of ammunition and weapons to Israel – while he made sure to praise former President Donald Trump (though he also praised Biden).
5 View gallery
Speaker Mike Jonson and Senator Ben Cardin during Netanyahu's address to Congress
(Photo: Kent Nishimura / Getty Images)
"This is something that concerns us greatly," Cardin said according to Fox News, also criticizing Netanyahu for attacking pro-Palestinian protesters in the U.S., calling them "useful idiots" for Iran. "I'm not a big supporter of many of the protesters, but they have the right to protest. They are not infringing on the rights of others, and I think the motivation and views of many of the protesters are pure. The way the Prime Minister described them is not how I would like to see it," he said. He noted, however, that this was just "a relatively small part of the speech," and he believed the speech was mostly "balanced" and correctly emphasized the importance of the U.S.-Israel alliance.
Gregory Meeks, the senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, claimed that Netanyahu's speech reminded him of the Prime Minister's previous address to Congress in 2015, which was part of his campaign against the nuclear deal that was later signed (and collapsed during Trump's administration). "It seemed like politics," Meeks accused according to NBC.
Meeks later issued an official statement attacking Netanyahu's speech, saying he was "very frustrated" that he did not hear from Netanyahu how he intends to end the war. "The Prime Minister refuses to implement President Biden's proposal, which has broad support and will lead to a ceasefire, the return of the hostages, and a further surge in humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Prime Minister did not outline a realistic plan for the day after the war in Gaza, and I fear this means he intends to yield to voices from the far right in his coalition."
Republicans Against Harris: "Abandoned Her Duties, Will She Also Abandon Israel?"
The Democratic boycott predictably drew criticism from the Republican side, with conservatives mainly attacking Democratic candidate Kamala Harris for her absence, given the upcoming presidential elections. "The fact that the Vice President was absent from a joint session of both houses of Congress with the leader of the U.S.'s closest ally in the Middle East is shameful," said Senator Joni Ernst, accusing Harris of "abandoning her duties as Vice President." Ernst questioned whether Harris would also abandon Israel itself if she wins and becomes President, declaring that she should have been in the chamber whether she respects Netanyahu or not. Harris is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu at the White House today.
Similar criticism came from her rival in the elections, former President Donald Trump, who will also meet with Netanyahu tomorrow. "She is running away from Israel, she refuses to meet with Bibi Netanyahu in Washington," Trump said at a campaign rally in North Carolina – and the crowd booed her. "Even if you're against Israel and against the Jewish people, come and hear the concept. But she is entirely against the Jewish people. And it amazes me how Jewish people vote for Democrats when they are treated so disrespectfully and poorly? It's amazing to me."
5 View gallery
Carmit Katzir, sister of the late Elad Katzir, was escorted out for protesting
(Photo: EPA/WILL OLIVER)
Republicans also expressed outrage last night over the protests that accompanied Netanyahu's speech in Washington, with demonstrators in the American capital burning U.S. flags and effigies of the Prime Minister. One protester was caught spraying the word "Hamas" on a statue in the city. "Supporters of Israel and inciters against Israel are vandalizing federal property, removing U.S. flags, and replacing them with Palestinian flags very close to the Capitol. There is no excuse for this. I expect them to be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible," said Senator John Barrasso.