Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle
David Rullo
July 30, 2024
When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress on July 24, a Pennsylvania political hopeful was in the gallery witnessing the historic speech.
Republican James Hayes, campaigning for incumbent Summer Lee’s seat in the commonwealth’s 12th District, said when he heard that Lee might skip the prime minister’s address, he was embarrassed.
“I reached out to Congressman GT Thompson, who I met the week before at the [Republican] convention, and he was gracious enough to extend an invitation, and I was able to participate through him,” Hayes said.
And while Hayes was ashamed of Lee’s absence, he said that was overshadowed by the antics of Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who wore a keffiyeh and held a sign reading “War Criminal” on one side and “Guilty of Genocide” on the other, which she brandished while remaining seated as others stood and applauded the prime minister’s speech.
Others in the chamber also expressed disapproval of Netanyahu, Hayes said, though more subtlety than Tlaib.
“In the past, support of Israel was a strongly bipartisan policy plank,” he said. “I was surprised to see the Republican side of the room, and a lot of senators who were very supportive, standing and applauding — I lost count — during 35 standing ovations. Unfortunately, on the Democrat side, there seemed to be a lot of quiet resistance. They sat quietly in their seats and didn’t show support.”
Hayes said he believes that Israel is the United States’ strongest ally in the Middle East and perhaps the world. Netanyahu, he said, is also a strong ally of America.
The congressional hopeful said he appreciated the prime minister speaking of the bond between the countries during his speech. He also appreciated Netanyahu’s label for those supporting Hamas: “Useful idiots.”
Hayes said protesters released maggots at the Watergate Hotel where the prime minister was staying and took down and burned the American flag, replacing it with the Palestinian flag.
Deputy Consul General of Israel in New York Tsach Saar said that protesters had “an absolute right” to their opinion, but added that the protesters reflected the threat on American society coming from Iran and Hamas.
As for Tlaib, Saar said America and Israel are better served by dialogue than antics.
“But, in the end, if this is what she thinks she should do, then she’s a Congress member and she should,” he said.
Saar called Netanyahu’s speech “important,” saying it emphasized the goals of the war that Israel shares with America, including the release of the hostages, dismantling Hamas’ military and governance capabilities in Gaza and what he called the “largest threat” shared by the two countries: Iran.
“Not just the nuclear capabilities but the protests here in the United States which weaken the American resilience and cause polarization and destabilization,” he said.
A war in the Middle East, Saar said, is not only a war in the region; rather, it’s a direct threat against America’s national security and its economic interests.
That message he said, was delivered to a bipartisan Congress in which Israel sees both parties as partners.
That spirit of bipartisanship was evidenced by statements released by Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. Bob Casey and his political opponent, Republican Dave McCormick.
Casey said it is critical that the world sees the United States continue to stand with Israel during its war against a terror group.
“I remain committed to standing with Israel and its right to protect itself while we also work to bring the hostages home and provide much-needed humanitarian aid to Gaza as quickly as possible,” Casey said in a statement to the Chronicle.
McCormick drew a contrast between Netanyahu speaking before Congress about the two nations’ shared values, and what he called “terrorist sympathizers” who burned American flags.
“Disgraceful displays of antisemitism must be condemned,” he said, “and the U.S. must continue to support Israel in their fight to eradicate Hamas and bring all the hostages home.”
He noted that both Vice President Kamala Harris and Lee, whom he called “a known antisemite,” boycotted the speech.
Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman said that “democratically elected leaders should always be welcomed in Congress.”
“Prime Minister Netanyahu provided vivid reminders of the horrific day of Oct. 7 and delivered an important message to Congress and the American people: We must stand together until the threat of Hamas has been neutralized,” Fetterman said in a statement to the Chronicle.
Closer to home, Allegheny County Council member Dan Grzybek chose to highlight Tlaib’s protest on X (formerly Twitter), calling her a “brave woman” willing to confront “the man responsible for perpetrating a genocide against your people as your fellow members of Congress disgustingly stand and applaud.”
Earlier this year, Grzybek co-sponsored a motion introduced by Councilwoman Bethany Hallam calling for a cease-fire in Israel’s war with Hamas. It was defeated by a large margin.
While in the States, Netanyahu also met privately with President Joe Biden and Harris, as well as former President Donald Trump. PJC