Fact-Checking Netanyahu's Speech to Congress
Misinformation, disinformation, and fabrication sum up Netanyahu's desperate attempt to sanitize his documented war crimes
On July 23 more than 500 Jewish Americans protested on Capitol Hill, demanding the United States end its arms sales to the Netanyahu regime.
On July 24, with the backdrop of thousands of people protesting him, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed U.S. Congress. His remarks were filled with numerous inaccuracies, misleading statements, and flat out lies. Here, we aim to quickly fact-check and debunk 10 of the most egregious falsehoods presented in his speech. His lies are destructive not only to the Palestinian people, but also to Israelis, and to Americans. If we truly believe in international rules based order and that no person is above the law, we must hold Netanyahu accountable to those same standards of international law and human rights. Let’s Address This.
1. The Existential Threat to Israel
Netanyahu's assertion that "never again is now" in the context of October 7 is deeply ironic given his own record. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has credibly accused him of genocide, the International Criminal Court (ICC) of war crimes, and the United Nations (UN) of "extermination" of Palestinian civilians. Even former IDF Chiefs of Staff and Mossad Directors have labeled him “an existential threat to Israel,” in a letter to Congressional leadership, recognizing his actions as criminal. (See 2 page letter below). It is absurd that he is given a bipartisan platform in Congress despite these accusations. In short, the biggest threat to Israel according to Israelis themselves, is Benjamin Netanyahu.
2. Protests and Ceasefire
Netanyahu next claimed that those protesting for a ceasefire and the release of all hostages are “pro Hamas” and “funded by Iran.” This is, of course, baseless. First of all, Israel itself agreed to a complete ceasefire and release of all hostages. Now, Israel and Netanyahu reject their very own proposal! So, on what grounds can Netanyahu condemn protestors for agreeing with him? Likewise, there is no evidence to support the assertion that the people protesting Netanyahu on the steps of Congress are “funded by Iran.” This is just a bald faced lie, but making claims without evidence is Netanyahu’s calling card.
Finally, his regime has deliberately bombed safe zones, as The New York Times and ABC news have documented, on more than 200 occasions. This contradicts any genuine claim of adherence to humanitarian principles. Netanyahu’s smear tactic diverts attention from legitimate calls for peace and human rights, and is a shameless attempt to avoid accountability.
3. Criticism of Israel and Antisemitism
Netanyahu equates criticism of Israel with antisemitism, which is a blatant lie. I’ve written on this extensively before. Criticizing a government's policies is not the same as hating a people. Antisemitism is the hatred of Jewish people, not the critique of the actions of the Israeli government. People have rights; governments do not. This distinction is crucial and must be understood to prevent the misuse of antisemitism accusations.
4. Famine and Aid in Gaza
Netanyahu accused the ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan of antisemitism for stating that Israel is "starving the people of Gaza." Instead, Netanyahu claims that "Hamas is stealing aid." Both of these claims are lies. First, the UN has confirmed famine conditions in Gaza due to the Israeli blockade, declaring:
We declare that Israel’s intentional and targeted starvation campaign against the Palestinian people is a form of genocidal violence and has resulted in famine across all of Gaza. We call upon the international community to prioritise the delivery of humanitarian aid by land by any means necessary, end Israel’s siege, and establish a ceasefire.
Moreover, back in February the ICJ condemned Israel’s food blockade and ordered the Netanyahu regime to comply to ensure aid reaches Gaza. The regime has refused to comply.
Likewise, the U.S. government and on the ground NGOs have each reported that Israeli settlers, tipped off by the Israeli military, are blocking aid. There’s literal video evidence of it happening as a common event. Meanwhile, as the US Government has also admitted, Netanyahu has provided no evidence to substantiate his claim that Hamas is diverting aid. It is pure, meritless, propaganda. Instead, as Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor documents, the actual horror inflicted upon civilians is almost incomprehensible.
5. Civilian Protection and Journalistic Freedom
Netanyahu’s assertion that "Israel has implemented more precautions than any army in history to protect civilians from harm" is contradicted by his actions—for example the 200+ times his regime has bombed designated safe zone where the Israeli military specifically forced civilians to go to. Despite his audacious claim that Israel has "killed practically no civilians," The Lancet conservatively estimates that over 186,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli bombings. Netanyahu's attempt to deny these documented deaths is an egregious lie, asking us to disbelieve the evidence before our eyes. His regime bans journalists, exiles local reporters, and has killed over 108 journalists and media workers who were covering his military actions. His request for trust, devoid of transparency, is reckless propaganda.
6. The Fight Against Hamas
Netanyahu portrays his fight against Hamas as aligned with America's interests. Perhaps this is to try and counter the reality that Americans are sick of this war and, “nearly 70% of Democrats and independents, as well as, two-thirds of Republicans favor policies that don’t send American troops to the Middle East.” And notwithstanding that Hamas is a reaction to decades of illegal Israeli occupation, how can the war be against Hamas when Netanyahu himself has funded Hamas for years?
As oft reported by The Times of Israel, The New York Times, and a host of other outlets, Netanyahu brazenly helped fund and prop up Hamas with the explicit goal of undermining the PLO, preventing peace, and preventing a viable Palestinian state. This history of support undercuts his current stance and exposes a strategy of perpetuating conflict for political gain.
7. Iran’s Nuclear Program
Netanyahu cited Iran as the root of all problems in the Middle East, and the world. In particular, he claimed his siege on Gaza was necessary to protect the U.S. from Iranian nuclear threats and “radical Islam.” This is a fascinating claim, given he unabashedly encouraged and bragged about convincing former President Donald Trump to dismantle the Obama-era nuclear deal, which had successfully prevented Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Of course, Netanyahu never has and never will bother to try and explain this contradiction, because doing so would further highlight his opportunism and dishonesty.
8. Political Violence and Hypocrisy
Netanyahu's statement that "there is no room for political violence in democracies" is deeply ironic, given his credible accusations of war crimes, extermination, and genocide. It’s also hypocritical given Israeli intelligence under Netanyahu threatened and spied on the ICC. Throughout his speech Netanyahu repeatedly thanked Donald Trump, a man with a documented history of antisemitic and racist comments, a man who called Nazis ‘very fine people,’ a man who happily dined with Nazis in his own home, and a man who has inspired countless acts of political violence. This further underscores Netanyahu’s hypocrisy and lack of integrity.
9. The Two-State Solution
Netanyahu’s failure to mention a genuine two-state solution where Palestinians have self-determination speaks volumes. His vision for Gaza involves disarmament and a lack of autonomy, which no nation would accept for itself. In fact, for the first time in history the Israeli parliament just passed a resolution opposing a two state solution. Likewise, Netanyahu is on record that he will never allow an independent Palestinian state. Israeli leadership has gone as far as to say it is ready to annex the West Bank. And Israel and continues to build illegal settlements even as the ICJ calls it apartheid and illegal while mandating removal. Given this, it does not take a genius to realize that Netanyahu’s siege on Gaza has little to do with justice, and everything to do with expanding power and control over Palestinian land.
10. Democratic Boycott
While Netanyahu claimed that his support with America is unbreakable, clear breaks are forming. One of the most telling indicators of Netanyahu's declining influence is the growing boycott of his speeches by Democrats in Congress. In 2015, about 50 Democrats boycotted his speech. Today, that number rose to 136. This shift signals a significant loss of support for Netanyahu within the Democratic Party. On notable Democrat who attended, did so to send a message, and it was a message read loud and clear.
Conclusion
Netanyahu's speech was a despicable masterclass in misinformation. It echoed the Trumpian tactic of overwhelming audiences with falsehoods in hopes of creating exhaustion and apathy. He is desperate to deflect attention from his failed policies and put the blame on others. The American public and policymakers must instead see through this propaganda and hold him accountable. Netanyahu is no friend to the American people, or to the causes of global peace and justice. As he now pushes for war with Iran, recall his incitement to encourage the United States to invade Iraq, and the horrific consequences of that decision. Someone who has been so wrong for so long should not ever be trusted again, and certainly not now.
In her run for the White House, VP Harris has an opportunity to turn the page on a failed U.S. policy on Israel and Palestine. She can do so by upholding US Leahy Laws, international human rights law, and the will of the American people. Stop funding Netanyahu, start rebuilding Gaza, and condition aid on a complete ceasefire, release of all hostages on both sides, a withdrawal from Gaza and the West Bank, and an independent Palestinian state. That is the path towards peace and security for both Palestine and Israel.
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Truly chilling that he attacked American Jews in his speech, and all the antisemites stood up to clap.
He attacked American freedoms, and Americans exercising those freedoms repeatedly. And all the fascists stood up to clap.
Bravo Congresswoman Rashid Tlaib! ممتازة