Netanyahu’s Visit to Congress Draws Protests
Report and photos by Phil Pasquini

Washington: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived earlier last week in Washington after having accepted a June invitation from Speaker Mike Johnson to address a joint session of both houses of Congress. He was delighted at the opportunity to address the lawmakers which he characterized as his being able to “present the truth” on what he termed a “just war.” Conversely, Andre Damon, a writer and editor at the World Socialist Web Site depicted the address as “A progress report to his imperialist paymasters.” Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Executive Director Nihad Awad, speaking at a protest rally, stated “It is a sad day in American history. He claimed that Netanyahu has “a long history of manipulating our government and exploiting our generosity.”

Since his arrival on July 22, activists protested nonstop to disrupt his trip in any way possible including at the infamous Watergate Hotel where he stayed. It was reported that while activists were creating disturbances outside the hotel, protesters planted insects in the hotel and pulled a fire alarm on Tuesday night.

During the protests, groups of activists blocked intersections along Netanyahu’s motorcade route in a “cat and mouse” game of blocking traffic and disappearing when police arrived only to reappear elsewhere along the motorcade route. As the growing crowd moved towards Union Station, during a confrontation with protesters, police deployed flashbang grenades and tear gas as tensions began to rise over the burning of American flags and the raising of the Palestinian flag.

In his opening comments before Congress, Netanyahu set the tone by characterizing the Israel-US relationship as vital. “For the forces of civilization to triumph, Israel and America must stand together.” The address was boycotted by more than 50 members of the House, along with 230 staffers who signed a letter protesting the visit. Notably missing, too, was Vice President Kamala Harris who was speaking at the African American women’s sorority, Zeta Phi Beta biennial convention in Indianapolis.

Speaker Johnson had earlier warned lawmakers who may protest during Netanyahu’s speech, that if they “get out of hand” they will be arrested by the Sergeant at Arms.

Incensed by the presence of protesters who, besides rallying, affected his motorcade’s progress across the city, during his address Netanyahu accused them of being supported by Iran saying that they “stand with Hamas, they should be ashamed of themselves.” He went further by calling the protesters “tyrants of Iran and useful idiots,” followed by his stating that the protesters chanting “From the river to the sea” do not even know “what river or what sea.”

He went on to “inform” lawmakers by delineating how few casualties there have actually been in Gaza. His comment was later characterized by one Palestinian activist as clearly blatant “lies.” Netanyahu’s citation of inordinately low deaths in Gaza is contrary to a study reported by the prestigious British medical journal, The Lancet, which last week released estimates that a realistic number of deaths in Gaza may be around 186,000 or “eight percent of its inhabitants.”

 His PR trip to Washington has further infuriated Israelis who note that he should instead be in Israel working on negotiations to bring the hostages home and end the war in Gaza.

(Phil Pasquini is a freelance journalist and photographer. His reports and photographs appear in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Countercurrents, and Nuze.ink. He is the author of Domes, Arches and Minarets: A History of Islamic-Inspired Buildings in America.)