Netanyahu compares Oct. 7 to Pearl Harbor and criticizes protesters in address to Congress
Hundreds of protesters marched outside the Capitol and roughly 40 Democrats boycotted the speech in protest of Netanyahu's handling of the war in Gaza.
WASHINGTON — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday delivered an impassioned speech to Congress, taking on protesters inside the House chamber and thousands gathered outside the Capitol, all while emphasizing the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
It was his first address to U.S. lawmakers in nearly a decade and the first since Hamas' Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel killed 1,200 people and resulted in the taking of over 240 hostages to Gaza, where about 100 are still believed to be held captive.
Netanyahu's speech comes at a critical period: The U.S. is in the middle of a chaotic election year, and the Biden administration continues to push negotiators toward a cease-fire agreement that could end the war in Gaza, where more than 39,000 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health.
"My friends, I came to assure you today of one thing: We will win," Netanyahu, standing in the same spot where President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his "Day of Infamy" speech after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
"Like Dec. 7, 1941, and Sept. 11, 2001," Netanyahu said, "Oct. 7 is a day that will forever live in infamy."
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