PUBLISHED: August 2, 2024 | www.baltimoresun.com
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently gave a joint session of Congress a sharp and much-needed dose of reality.
He reminded Congress that Iran and its proxies are dedicated to destroying the very freedoms and values that undergird our civilization.
He rebuked anti-Israel protestors — some of whom we know are funded by Iran — for their shocking inability to distinguish good from evil.
He debunked lies about alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza, including those spread by the International Criminal Court.
It was a bold speech and a timely one. But it shouldn’t have been necessary.
The facts Netanyahu laid out have been well-known since before Oct. 7, and they used to be acknowledged by both parties. Strong bipartisan support for Israel had long been a given until recently, when a few isolationist Republicans and a much larger number of progressive Democrats began working to jeopardize the U.S.-Israel relationship.
Whether citing debunked, Hamas-supplied casualty figures, antisemitic U.N. officials, or reports from journalists who are actually terrorists, they paint that relationship as a moral hazard and advocate for conditionality if not outright boycott.
Representative Rashida Tlaib went so far as to bring a sign to Netanyahu’s address calling him a war criminal and accusing Israel of genocide, a vile and obviously false libel. She should be ashamed of herself; members of Congress should hold themselves to a higher standard than spreading lies to generate photo ops and pander to Israel-haters in their district.
I’d like to join Netanyahu in stating the obvious: The relationship between America and Israel not only makes both countries safer, it also paves the way for a more secure and prosperous Middle East by leading a united front against Iran.
Our two countries don’t just share common security concerns, we share the liberal values that the mullahs in Iran have dedicated themselves to destroying. As Netanyahu pointed out, Iran and its proxies see the elimination of Israel as a stepping stone to the elimination of America.
Unfortunately, half of the Democratic legislators in the House and Senate skipped a speech they really needed to hear.
The Democratic National Convention is coming up in just a few weeks, and the same protestors who say Zionists are the new Nazis and burn the American flag while waving Hamas flags will descend on Chicago and demand that the Democratic party officially adopt their extremism.
It’ll be up to the DNC and its presumptive nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, to unequivocally reject it instead. If they equivocate, they are sending a clear message that they care more about courting the votes of far-left, pro-terror ideologues than protecting America’s relationship with our closest ally.
This is a critical time. Netanyahu set out his postwar vision: a demilitarized and deradicalized Gaza, continued expansion of the tremendously successful Abraham Accords and an “Abraham Alliance” of Israel, America and Arab states to counter Iran — an alliance we saw a preview of when more than six countries came together to thwart Iran’s missile attack on Israel in April.
Now is the time to press ahead, not dither. President Joe Biden’s slow-walking of military aid to Israel has already prolonged the conflict unnecessarily while injecting uncertainty into a relationship he has repeatedly called “ironclad”.
It’s time for us to return to the sane bipartisan consensus that prevailed for so long. America should enthusiastically give Israel the tools it needs to finish off Hamas and start realizing Netanyahu’s vision of a cooperative, peaceful and prosperous Middle East.
Most of us didn’t need that wake-up call. For those who did, I’m glad Netanyahu provided the reminder.
Armstrong Williams (www.armstrongwilliams.com; @arightside) is a political analyst, syndicated columnist and owner of the broadcasting company, Howard Stirk Holdings. He is also part owner of The Baltimore Sun.
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