Fake News Speech

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress in a defiant, hour-long speech, denouncing protests against Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza and vowing "total victory." Dozens of Democratic lawmakers boycotted, joining critics who've protested the nine-month war that's killed over 39,000 Palestinians and sparked a humanitarian crisis.

Netanyahu claimed: "This is not a clash of civilizations, it's a clash between barbarism and civilization... We will win." He also smeared US university presidents, stating: "They couldn't bring themselves to condemn the calls for the genocide of Jews... [it depends on] context." PolitiFact checked his claims, including on Iran's role in US protests and aid to Gaza.

On Iran, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines stated Iranian government actors were exploiting US protests, but didn't claim they were "funding" them. On Gaza aid, a US State Department report and officials acknowledged delays and negative effects on aid due to Israeli actions, but also noted recent improvements, highlighting concern about Hamas diverting aid. UN experts declared a famine in Gaza, but the UN hasn't yet.

Netanyahu's rhetoric fans flames, skirts responsibility, and justifies endless war while erasing Palestinian humanity.

Sources:

• https://www.c-span.org/video/?536521-1/israeli-prime-minister-delivers-speech-joint-meeting-congress&vod&start=2154
• https://apnews.com/article/netanyahu-congress-gaza-hamas-israel-6ea5daf3cd1988b0ad6e874bd450f9bf
• https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/24/world/middleeast/netanyahu-congress-speech-takeaways.html
• https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/netanyahu-boycott-israel-congress-b2585258.html
• https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-releases/press-releases-2024/3842-statement-from-director-of-national-intelligence-avril-haines-on-recent-iranian-influence-efforts
• https://www.politifact.com/article/2023/dec/07/fourth-gop-presidential-debate-fact-check/
• https://www.c-span.org/video/?532147-101/university-presidents-testify-college-campus-antisemitism-part-2
• https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/06/us/harvard-mit-penn-presidents-antisemitism.html
• https://www.politifact.com/article/2024/may/06/what-we-know-about-the-outside-agitators-being-bla/
• https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2024/mar/26/antonio-guterres/fact-checking-un-secretary-generals-remarks-about/
• https://www.politifact.com/article/2023/oct/23/can-the-us-keep-aid-to-gaza-out-of-hamas-hands/
• https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/07/un-experts-declare-famine-has-spread-throughout-gaza-strip
• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-n-experts-say-gaza-children-dying-in-israeli-targeted-starvation-campaign/
• https://www.ipcinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ipcinfo/docs/IPC_Gaza_Strip_Acute_Food_Insecurity_Jun_Sept2024_Special_Brief.pdf
• https://www.reuters.com/graphics/ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS/MAPS/movajdladpa/#closure-of-rafah-crossing-imperils-humanitarian-aid-in-gaza
• https://www.npr.org/2024/07/15/nx-s1-5035998/gaza-israel-food-aid-piling-up-not-reaching-those-in-need
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zae7Uy_Vvc0
• https://www.scribd.com/document/731299664/Report-to-Congress-under-Section-2-of-the-National-Security-Memorandum-on-Safeguards-and-Accountability-with-Respect-to-Transferred-Defense-Articles-a#fullscreen&from_embed
• https://www.npr.org/2024/05/10/1250442216/u-s-report-says-reasonable-to-assess-that-israel-has-violated-humanitarian-law
• https://www.state.gov/briefings/department-press-briefing-october-19-2023/
• https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-04-02-2024-9bdf66771b62af37d85a2800f71c0e6c
• https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/05/14/gaza-israelis-attacking-known-aid-worker-locations
• https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-war-power-usaid-humanitarian-afc82e5a17d939bd284194b0b64289d5