Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to a joint session of Congress sparked controversy and tension as roughly half of House and Senate Democrats skipped the speech. The president and vice president put pressure on Netanyahu to accept a cease-fire deal, adding to the political atmosphere surrounding the event.
Here are six takeaways from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to U.S. lawmakers:
Netanyahu's speech aimed to garner support for Israel's war on Gaza.
The Israeli leader did not offer a vision for peace in his address.
Tensions between the US and Israel were evident throughout the speech.
Netanyahu's fiery rhetoric highlighted the need for strong US-Israel relations.
The speech highlighted the divide between Democrats and Republicans on foreign policy.
Netanyahu's address underscored the complex relationship between the US and Israel.
Foreign leaders typically use their addresses to lay out visions for the future or offer hope for peace. The Israeli leader did neither, instead focusing on the need for support in the ongoing conflict with Gaza.
By Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Adam Israelevitz, a junior fellow at the, the speech was seen as a strategic move by Netanyahu to bolster support for Israel's actions in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has addressed a joint session of the United States Congress as his country conducts a war on Gaza. The speech comes at a critical time for US-Israel relations, with tensions running high over the conflict in the Middle East.
Israel's prime minister will address a joint session of the US Congress in a bid to bolster support for his country's war against Hamas. The speech is expected to further strain relations between the US and Israel, as political divisions over foreign policy continue to deepen.
When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his controversial speech to Congress Wednesday afternoon in a bid to shore up U.S. support for Israel's actions in Gaza, tensions were high. The speech highlighted the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the challenges facing US-Israel relations.
