ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered an address to a joint meeting of Congress today. Supporters in the chamber gave him a standing ovation, even as dozens of lawmakers chose not to attend the event, objecting to Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza. NPR congressional reporter Barbara Sprunt was in the chamber for the speech. Hi there.
BARBARA SPRUNT, BYLINE: Hi, Ari.
SHAPIRO: Paint a picture for us. What was the event like?
SPRUNT: Well, it was a mostly friendly crowd. Some of that is because there were dozens of lawmakers who protested by not showing up. Also notable, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer attended but did not shake the prime minister's hand.
Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke for about an hour. His speech was filled with lines that led to applause from both sides of the aisle and more standing ovations than I frankly could keep track of. I will say, I kept looking for a disturbance to break out during the speech, but it was pretty orderly. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, one of the biggest critics of Netanyahu in Congress, had a small sign that she was holding saying war criminal on one side. And Capitol police did report that six people were arrested in the chamber where the speech took place.
SHAPIRO: This is a high-stakes moment for Netanyahu. He faces a lot of criticism both at home in Israel and here in the U.S. What was his message?
SPRUNT: He spent time thanking both President Biden and former President Trump. He's had tense relationships with both of them at times, and whichever party wins come this November, he's going to want to have their support. He did talk about the special relationship the U.S. has with Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: For the forces of civilization to triumph, America and Israel must stand together.
SPRUNT: And he thanked lawmakers for their support and made a plea for more aid, saying, give us the tools faster, and we'll finish the job faster.
SHAPIRO: It got intense. How did he frame his appeal?
SPRUNT: Well, he talked about October 7. He called it heaven turning into hell when Hamas killed around 1,200 people and took 240 people hostage. He made the comparison that it was like twenty 9/11s in one day. And he spent time talking about the history of antisemitism, saying never again is now. He criticized the anti-Israel protesters, saying that they stand with Hamas. That line got a lot of applause from Republicans, not so much from Democrats. And another big theme was about the 120 hostages that remain in Gaza. There was a former hostage in the audience along with family members of hostages, some of whom have been meeting with U.S. officials this week.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
NETANYAHU: The pain these families have endured is beyond words. I met with them again yesterday, and I promised them this. I will not rest until all their loved ones are home.
SPRUNT: Now, I spoke with an aunt of a hostage before the speech, and she said that what she wanted to hear from him was an ironclad commitment to a deal that would bring these hostages home. And notably, he did not lay out a clear path for such a deal. Israeli officials have said that the Israeli delegation will return to the negotiating table after President Biden and Netanyahu meet on Thursday.
SHAPIRO: In another part of the program, we're going to hear more about those protests that were happening during the speech. But did Netanyahu address the criticisms of the way he has prosecuted this war?
SPRUNT: He did. Specifically, he reiterated that Hamas uses civilians as shields. He defended his administration's efforts to protect civilians. The Gaza Ministry of Health says more than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed. They don't provide a breakdown of civilians and militants, but they do say women and children account for over half the dead.
SHAPIRO: Just briefly, what's next on Netanyahu's U.S. trip?
SPRUNT: Netanyahu is meeting separately with President Biden and Vice President Harris later this week, and former President Trump says they will speak on Friday.
SHAPIRO: That is NPR congressional reporter Barbara Sprunt. Thank you.
SPRUNT: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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