WhatsappBenjamin Neanyahu’s detractors were quick to make claims such as ”A Prime Minister of Israel needs to have more than just good english,” and “one speech does not make a successful Prime Minister.” Those were the best non-substantive criticisms they were able to conjure up. The detractors are wrong on both counts. Bibi hit it out of the park, and it could not have come at a more critical time in the State of Israel.
Israel is fighting what most people in Israel see as their 2nd War of Independence. Why use such grandiose terms? Because indeed the entire existence of the State of Israel is under attack. Iran and it’s proxies, Hamas, Hizbullah, the Houtis, and all of their BDS supporters around the world, are all striving to achieve one goal – the total destruction of the State of Israel.
Netanyahu is wildly popular among around 30% of Israel’s Jewish population and just as unpopular among 30%. It is the other 40%, most of whom are rather right wing or very wright wing, who sway Netanyahu in more rightward directions. But Netanyahu has stayed at the helm longer than any other leader in the State of Israel because of the deep trust that so many have in him that he will do what is needed to protect the State of Israel from it’s enemies. Even those who don’t vote for him believe that to be the case.
On October 7th, this deep belief was punctured. Many – to this day – are now questioning their assumptions about Netanyahu. But that speech, and all of the constant applause from so many members of Congress, certainly helped restore much of the belief that so many have that they can rely on Netanyahu for their security.
The reality is that with all of the financial power that Congress has, the Executive Branch and State Department control the flow of funds and weapons to and from the United States more than Congress does. Congress can vote to fund Israel in their time of need. The State Department is filled with people who are more than happy to facilitate a slowdown in sending weapons – especially if the Executive Branch indicates that they would like Israel to feel the pinch.
That is exactly what has been going on over the last few months, and may be the main reason that Israel has not responded to the Hizbullah attacks with more ferocity. The weapons are simply not there yet for Israel to be able to withstand the onslaught from Hizbullah. Netanyahu’s main goals with his speech from Congress were probably the following two things: 1. He wanted to convince Donald Trump to expedite weapons deliveries if Trump is reelected President. 2. He wanted to reassure Israelis that he is still Israel’s best hope for a deep and reliable relationship with the United States of America.
He succeeded in a major way. But that does not mean that all is fine and smooth now for Netanyahu. Although Kamala Harris is a weak Presidential candidates, Trump is extremely unpopular with middle-of-the-roaders in America too. The JD Vance choice for VP may be exactly the right choice to win over enough voters in the rust-belt States for Donald Trump. But if Kamala Harris is somehow able to convince enough suburban women to come out and vote for her, this election may mirror the 2000 election and come down to the wire.
Netanyahu knows this and properly praised Joe Biden in his speech and then met with Kamala Harris separately. Israel should not put all of it’s bets on a Trump victory. All of Donald Trump’s advisors are not pro-Israel, and the isolationist angle in the United States is building steam. Tucker Carlson’s influence is enormous these days. That is why the most important part of Netanyahu’s arguments were probably the part of the speech where he clearly delineated that Israel does not just need America. America needs Israel just the same. We are all in the same fight between barbarianism and civilization. The only difference is that Israel is on the frontlines.
