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今天中央电视台4套节目播出了 以色列内塔尼亚胡总理在美国国会联席会议上的演讲内容。这个时间点很特别，是以色列空袭也门后，以及拜登刚确定退出下一任竞选的前提下。以下是本雅明·内塔尼亚胡总理办公室发布的 2024年7月25日 内塔尼亚胡总理在国会联席会议上的讲话全文。
众议院议长迈克·约翰逊、参议员本·卡丹、少数党领袖哈基姆·杰弗里斯、参议院多数党领袖查克·舒默、参议院少数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔、参议员、国会议员、尊敬的各位来宾：议长先生，我要感谢你给我深深的荣誉，让我第四次在这个伟大的民主堡垒上发言。我们今天在历史的十字路口开会。我们的世界正处于动荡之中。在中东，伊朗的恐怖轴心与美国、以色列和我们的阿拉伯朋友对峙。这不是文明之间的冲突。这是野蛮与文明之间的冲突。这是那些荣耀死亡的人和那些圣化生命的人之间的冲突。为了让文明的力量取得胜利，美国和以色列必须站在一起。因为当我们站在一起时，会发生一些非常简单的事情。我们赢了。他们输了。女士们，先生们，就像1941年12月7日和2001年9月11日一样，10月7日是一个将永远生活在耻辱中的日子。这是犹太节日 Simchat Torah。这是一个完美的一天开始。天空中没有一朵云。数以千计的以色列年轻人在一个户外音乐节上庆祝。突然间，在早上6点29分，当孩子们还在加沙旁边的城镇和基布兹的床上睡得很香时，突然间天堂变成了地狱。三千名哈马斯恐怖分子冲进以色列。他们屠杀了来自41个国家的1,200人，其中包括39名美国人。按比例，与我们的人口规模相比，这相当于一天内 20 个 9/11。而这些怪物，他们强奸妇女，他们斩首男人，他们活活烧死婴儿，他们当着孩子的面杀死父母，当着父母的面杀死孩子。他们把255人拖进了加沙的黑暗地牢，他们都活在死者中。以色列已经带回了其中的135名人质，其中7人在大胆的营救行动中获释。其中一名获释的人质，诺亚·阿加马尼（Noa Argamani），坐在我的妻子萨拉旁边的画廊里。10月7日上午，全世界都看到了诺亚绝望的表情，她被暴力绑架到加沙，坐在摩托车后面。几个月前，我遇到了诺亚的母亲利奥拉。她快死于癌症了。她对我说：“首相，我还有最后一个愿望。我希望在我死前最后一次拥抱我的女儿诺亚。两个月前，我授权了一次惊心动魄的突击队救援行动。我们的特种部队，包括在这场战斗中阵亡的名叫阿农·兹莫拉的英勇军官，救出了诺亚和其他三名人质。我认为这是最令人感动的事情之一，当诺亚与她的母亲莉奥拉团聚时，她母亲的遗愿成真了。许多人质家庭今天也和我们在一起，包括埃利亚胡·比巴斯。Eliyahu Bibas是那两个美丽的红发男孩的祖父，Bibas男孩，蹒跚学步的孩子。他们和他们的母亲和以利亚胡的儿子一起被扣为人质。全家人都被扣为人质。两个美丽的红发孩子被劫持为人质。什么怪物。和我们在一起的还有艾里斯·海姆，他的儿子约塔姆和另外两名以色列人勇敢地逃脱了哈马斯的囚禁，不幸的是，他们在返回我们的防线时被杀。这些家庭所承受的痛苦是无法用言语形容的。昨天我再次会见了他们，我向他们保证了这一点。在他们所有的亲人都回家之前，我不会休息。所有的人。就在我们发言的时候，我们正在积极努力，以确保他们的释放，我相信这些努力能够取得成功。其中一些现在正在发生。我要感谢拜登总统为人质所做的不懈努力，也感谢他为人质家属所做的努力。我感谢拜登总统在10月7日野蛮袭击后对以色列的衷心支持。他正确地称哈马斯为“纯粹的邪恶”。他向中东派遣了两艘航空母舰，以阻止一场更广泛的战争。在我们最黑暗的时刻，他来到以色列与我们站在一起，这次访问永远不会被遗忘。拜登总统和我认识四十多年了。我要感谢他与以色列半个世纪的友谊，并正如他所说的那样，他是一个自豪的犹太复国主义者。实际上，他说，他是一个骄傲的爱尔兰裔美国犹太复国主义者。我的朋友们，九个多月来，以色列士兵表现出了无限的勇气。今天和我们在一起的是阿维查尔·鲁文中尉。阿维查伊尔是以色列伞兵的一名军官。他的家人从埃塞俄比亚移民到以色列。10月7日凌晨，阿维查伊尔听到了哈马斯血腥暴行的消息。他穿上制服，拿起步枪，但他没有车。因此，他跑了八英里到加沙的前线，以保卫他的人民。你没听错。他跑了八英里，来到前线，杀死了许多恐怖分子，挽救了许多生命。阿维海尔，我们都尊重你非凡的英雄主义。另一位以色列人今天也和我们在一起。他就站在阿维查伊尔旁边。我是阿什拉夫·巴希里军士长。阿什拉夫是一名贝都因士兵，来自以色列穆斯林社区拉哈特。10月7日，阿什拉夫也杀死了许多恐怖分子。首先，他为军事基地的战友辩护，然后他冲向保卫邻近的社区，包括被摧毁的贝耶里基布兹社区。像阿什拉夫一样，以色列国防军的穆斯林士兵以极大的勇气与他们的犹太人、德鲁兹人、基督教徒和其他战友并肩作战。第三位英雄，阿萨·索弗中尉也和我们在一起。阿萨在坦克部队担任军官，在战斗中受伤。他在战斗中受伤，同时保护他的战友免受手榴弹的伤害。他失去了右臂和左眼的视力。他正在康复，令人难以置信的是，在很短的时间内，阿萨将很快重返现役，担任坦克连的指挥官。我刚刚得知这里有第四位英雄——约纳坦中尉，乔纳森·本·哈莫，他在加沙失去了一条腿，继续战斗。我的朋友们，这些是以色列的士兵——不屈服、不畏惧、不怕。正如圣经所说，“עם כלביא יקום”——他们要像狮子一样升起。他们像狮子一样复活了，犹大的狮子，以色列的狮子。女士们，先生们，以色列国防军的男男女女来自以色列社会的每一个角落，每个种族，每个肤色，每个信仰，左派和右派，宗教和世俗。所有这些都充满了马加比家族不屈不挠的精神，马加比家族是古代传奇的犹太战士。今天和我们在一起的是Yechiel Leiter，其中一位马加比的父亲。耶希尔的父亲逃脱了大屠杀，在美国找到了避难所。年轻时，耶基尔移居以色列，抚养了一个有八个孩子的家庭。他以已故父亲的名字命名他的长子摩西。摩西成为我们一支精英突击队的一名模范军官。他出色地服务了二十年，同时抚养了六个自己的漂亮孩子。10月7日，摩西自告奋勇重返战场。四个星期后，当一枚诱杀装置地雷在清真寺旁边的隧道竖井中爆炸时，他被炸死。在他儿子的葬礼上，耶希尔说：“如果以色列国没有在大屠杀后建立，那么刻在我们集体记忆中的形象就会是华沙犹太人区那个无助的犹太男孩的照片，他举起双手，纳粹的怒吼指向他。但是，由于以色列的诞生，“耶基尔继续说道，”由于像我儿子摩西这样的士兵的勇气，犹太人在面对我们的敌人时不再无能为力。耶基尔，请站起来，这样我们就可以尊重你儿子的牺牲。我向你们和以色列所有失去亲人的家庭保证，你们所爱的人的牺牲不会白费，他们中的一些人今天在这个大厅里。这不会是徒劳的，因为对以色列来说，“永不重演”绝绝不能是一个空洞的承诺。它必须始终是一个神圣的誓言。而在10月7日之后，就是现在，“再也不会了”。我的朋友们，打败我们残酷的敌人既需要勇气，也需要清晰。清晰始于了解善与恶的区别。然而，令人难以置信的是，许多反以色列抗议者，许多人选择与邪恶站在一起。他们与哈马斯站在一起。他们与强奸犯和杀人犯站在一起。他们和那些进入基布兹的人站在一起，进入一个家，父母把孩子，两个婴儿藏在阁楼上，在一个秘密的阁楼里。他们谋杀了这个家庭，父母，他们找到了隐藏阁楼的秘密闩锁，然后他们谋杀了婴儿。这些抗议者与他们站在一起。他们应该为自己感到羞耻。他们拒绝简单地区分那些以恐怖分子为目标的人和那些以平民为目标的人，拒绝在民主的以色列国和哈马斯的恐怖主义暴徒之间作出简单的区分。我们最近从美国国家情报总监那里了解到，伊朗正在资助和推动美国的反以色列抗议活动。他们想颠覆美国。因此，这些抗议者甚至在7月4日焚烧了美国国旗。我想向北卡罗来纳大学的兄弟会兄弟致敬，他们保护了美国国旗，保护了美国国旗免受这些反以色列抗议者的侵害。据我们所知，伊朗正在资助现在在这座大楼外进行的反以色列抗议活动——不是那么多，但他们就在那里——以及整个城市。好吧，我要向这些抗议者传达一个信息：当德黑兰的暴君们把同性恋者吊在起重机上，谋杀不遮住头发的妇女时，他们赞美、宣传和资助你们，你们正式成为伊朗有用的白痴。太神奇了，绝对太神奇了。其中一些抗议者举着标语，宣称“加沙的同性恋者”。他们不妨举着写着“肯德基的鸡”的牌子。这些抗议者高呼“从河流到海洋”。但许多人不知道他们说的是哪条河和哪片海。他们不仅在地理上得了F，而且在历史上也得了F。他们称以色列为殖民主义国家。难道他们不知道以色列地是亚伯拉罕、以撒和雅各祷告的地方，是以赛亚和耶利米讲道的地方，是大卫和所罗门统治的地方吗？近四千年来，以色列的土地一直是犹太人的家园。它一直是我们的家;它永远是我们的家。不仅校园抗议者弄错了。这也是管理这些校园的人。大屠杀八十年后，哈佛大学、宾夕法尼亚大学的校长和我很惭愧地说，我的母校麻省理工学院无法谴责对犹太人进行种族灭绝的呼吁。还记得他们说的话吗？他们说，这取决于背景。好吧，让我给这些困惑的学者介绍一下背景。反犹太主义是世界上最古老的仇恨。几个世纪以来，对犹太人的屠杀总是伴随着疯狂的指控。我们被指控犯了各种罪名，从在井里下毒到传播瘟疫，再到用被屠杀的孩子的血来烘烤逾越节马佐斯。这些荒谬的反犹太主义谎言导致了迫害、大屠杀，并最终导致了历史上最严重的种族灭绝——大屠杀。现在，正如几个世纪以来对犹太人的恶意谎言一样，现在对犹太国家也提出了恶意的谎言。不 不。不要鼓掌。听。将以色列描绘成种族主义和种族灭绝的令人发指的诽谤，旨在使以色列失去合法性，妖魔化犹太国家，并在各地妖魔化犹太人。难怪，难怪我们目睹了反犹太主义在美国和世界各地骇人听闻的崛起。我的朋友们，无论何时何地，我们看到反犹太主义的祸害，我们都必须毫不含糊地谴责它，并坚决与之作斗争，无一例外。当对犹太国家的血腥诽谤来自那些穿着花哨的丝绸长袍，以崇高的语气谈论法律和正义的人时，不要被愚弄。这里有一个恰当的例子：国际刑事法院的检察官可耻地指责以色列故意让加沙人民挨饿。这完全是无稽之谈。这完全是捏造的。以色列已使40 000多辆援助卡车进入加沙。这是五十万吨食物，对于加沙的每个男人、女人和儿童来说，这相当于3000多卡路里的热量。如果加沙有巴勒斯坦人没有得到足够的食物，那不是因为以色列封锁了它，而是因为哈马斯在偷走它。这个谎言就这么多，但这是另一个：国际刑事法院检察官指责以色列故意针对平民。他在神的绿色大地上说的是什么？以色列国防军投下了数百万份传单，发送了数百万条短信，拨打了数十万个电话，以使巴勒斯坦平民免受伤害。但与此同时，哈马斯竭尽全力将巴勒斯坦平民置于危险之中。他们从学校、医院、清真寺发射火箭弹。当他们试图离开战区时，他们甚至向自己的人民开枪。哈马斯高级官员法蒂·哈马德（Fathi Hamad）吹嘘说——听着——他吹嘘说，巴勒斯坦妇女和儿童擅长成为人体盾牌。他的话是：“善于成为人体盾牌。多么可怕的邪恶。对以色列来说，每一个平民的死亡都是一场悲剧。对哈马斯来说，这是一种战略。他们实际上希望巴勒斯坦平民死去，这样以色列就会在国际媒体上被抹黑，并被迫在战争胜利之前结束战争。这将使哈马斯能够再活一天，并且正如他们发誓的那样，一次又一次地执行10月7日。好吧，我想向你保证，无论受到什么压力，我都不会允许这种情况发生。绝大多数美国人并没有被哈马斯的这种宣传所迷惑。他们继续支持以色列，我想说：感谢美国，感谢你们，参议员和众议院议员，他们继续支持我们，继续支持以色列，继续支持真相，看穿谎言。但至于可能因哈马斯的骗局而堕落的少数人，我建议你听听约翰·斯宾塞上校的话。约翰·斯宾塞（John Spencer）是西点军校城市战研究的负责人。他研究了每一个重大的城市冲突，我要说的是现代史上的，他纠正了我。不。在历史上。他说，以色列为防止平民伤害而采取的预防措施比历史上任何一支军队都多，而且超出了国际法的要求。这就是为什么尽管你听到了所有的谎言，但加沙战争是城市战争历史上战斗人员与非战斗人员伤亡比例最低的战争之一。你想知道加沙哪里最低吗？它是拉法最低的。在拉法。还记得那么多人说过的话吗？如果以色列进入拉法，将有数千甚至数万平民丧生。好吧，上周我去了拉法。我访问了我们的部队，当时他们正在完成与哈马斯剩余的恐怖主义营的战斗。我问那里的指挥官：“你在拉法消灭了多少恐怖分子？他给了我一个确切的数字：1,203。我问他：“有多少平民被杀？他说：“首相，几乎没有。除了一起事件，炸弹的弹片击中了哈马斯的武器库，无意中杀死了二十多人，答案几乎没有。你想知道为什么吗？因为以色列让平民脱离了伤害，人们说我们永远做不到，但我们做到了。今天在座的这些英雄，以色列的英勇士兵，不应该因为他们在加沙指挥战争的方式而受到谴责。他们应该因此受到表扬。我要感谢今天在座的各位，你们坚决反对国际刑事法院的不实指控，为真相挺身而出。这些谎言不仅是诽谤。它们非常危险。国际刑事法院正试图束缚以色列的双手，阻止我们自卫。如果以色列的手被束缚，美国就是下一个。我会告诉你接下来还有什么。所有民主政体打击恐怖主义的能力都将受到威胁。这就是关键所在。因此，让我向你保证，犹太国家的双手永远不会被束缚。以色列将永远自卫。我的朋友们，在中东，伊朗几乎是所有恐怖主义、所有动荡、所有混乱和所有杀戮的幕后黑手。这应该不足为奇。阿亚图拉·霍梅尼在创立伊斯兰共和国时承诺：“我们将把我们的革命输出到全世界。我们将把伊斯兰革命输出到全世界。现在，问问自己，哪个国家最终阻止了伊朗将激进的伊斯兰教强加于世界的疯狂计划？答案很明确：它是美国，是西方文明的守护者，也是世界上最强大的国家。这就是为什么伊朗将美国视为其最大的敌人。上个月，我听到了一个具有启发性的评论，表面上是关于加沙战争的，但是关于其他事情的。它来自伊朗代理人真主党的外交部长，他说：“这不是与以色列的战争。以色列，“他说，”只是一个工具。主要的战争，真正的战争，是与美国的战争。伊朗政权从上台的那一刻起就一直在与美国作战。1979年，它袭击了美国大使馆，将数十名美国人扣为人质长达444天。从那时起，伊朗的恐怖主义代理人就把目标对准了中东及其他地区的美国。在贝鲁特，他们杀死了241名美国军人。在非洲，他们轰炸了美国大使馆。在伊拉克，他们提供炸药，致残和杀害数千名美国士兵。在美国，他们实际上派出了行刑队。他们派出行刑队到这里谋杀了一名前国务卿和一名前国家安全顾问。正如我们最近了解到的那样，他们甚至厚颜无耻地威胁要暗杀特朗普总统。但伊朗明白，要真正挑战美国，它必须首先征服中东。为此，它使用了许多代理人，包括胡塞武装、真主党和哈马斯。然而，在中东的心脏地带，挡在伊朗面前的，是一个引以为豪的亲美民主国家——我的国家——以色列国。这就是为什么德黑兰的暴徒在高呼“美国去死”之前高呼“以色列去死”的原因。对伊朗来说，以色列是第一位的，美国是第二位。因此，当以色列与哈马斯作战时，我们就是在与伊朗作战。当我们与真主党作战时，我们是在与伊朗作战。当我们与胡塞武装作战时，我们是在与伊朗作战。当我们与伊朗作战时，我们正在与美利坚合众国最激进、最凶残的敌人作战。还有一件事。当以色列采取行动阻止伊朗发展核武器时，这些核武器可能会摧毁以色列并威胁到每一个美国城市，你来自的每一个城市，我们不仅仅是在保护自己。我们正在保护您。我的朋友们，如果你们记得一件事，从这次演讲中记住一件事，请记住这一点：我们的敌人就是你们的敌人，我们的战斗就是你们的战斗，我们的胜利将是你们的胜利。女士们，先生们，胜利就在眼前。以色列击败哈马斯将对伊朗的恐怖轴心造成沉重打击。该轴心的另一部分，真主党，于10月8日，即哈马斯袭击后的第二天袭击了以色列。它向我们发射了数千枚导弹和无人机。我们在以色列北部的80 000名公民撤离了他们的家园，实际上成为他们自己土地上的难民。我们决心将他们送回国。我们更愿意通过外交途径实现这一目标。但请允许我明确表示：以色列将竭尽全力恢复我国北部边界的安全，使我们的人民安全返回家园。上周五，第三个伊朗代理人胡塞武装用致命的无人机袭击了特拉维夫。它在距离美国领事馆几百英尺的地方爆炸，造成一人死亡，九人受伤。星期六，我授权对这次袭击作出迅速反应。我们所有的敌人都应该知道这一点。那些攻击以色列的人将付出非常沉重的代价。当我们在各个方面为自己辩护时，我知道美国会支持我们。我为此感谢你。过道的所有侧面。谢谢。我的朋友们，几十年来，美国一直向以色列提供慷慨的军事援助，而心怀感激的以色列为美国提供了挽救了许多生命的关键情报。我们共同开发了地球上一些最尖端的武器。我谨慎地选择我的措辞：我们共同开发了地球上一些最先进的武器，这些武器有助于保护我们两国。我们还帮助防止美国的靴子落地，同时保护我们在中东的共同利益。我非常感谢美国的支持，包括在当前的这场战争中的支持。但这是一个特殊的时刻。快速追踪美国的军事援助可以大大加快加沙战争的结束，并有助于防止中东地区发生更广泛的战争。在第二次世界大战中，当英国在文明的前线作战时，温斯顿·丘吉尔（Winston Churchill）用这句名言呼吁美国人：“给我们工具，我们就会完成工作。今天，当以色列在文明的前线战斗时，我也呼吁美国：“快点给我们工具，我们就能更快地完成工作。我亲爱的朋友们，如果哈马斯投降、解除武装并归还所有人质，加沙战争明天就会结束。但如果他们不这样做，以色列将一直战斗，直到我们摧毁哈马斯的军事能力及其在加沙的统治，并将我们所有的人质带回家。在我们击败哈马斯的第二天，一个新的加沙就会出现。我对那一天的愿景是一个非军事化和去激进化的加沙。以色列不寻求重新安置加沙。但在可预见的未来，我们必须在那里保持压倒一切的安全控制，以防止恐怖活动死灰复燃，确保加沙不再对以色列构成威胁。加沙应该有一个由巴勒斯坦人管理的文职政府，他们不寻求摧毁以色列。这并不过分。这是我们有权要求和接受的一件基本的事情。新一代巴勒斯坦人不应再被教导憎恨犹太人，而应与我们和平相处。这两个词，非军事化和去激进化，这两个概念在二战后被应用于德国和日本，并导致了几十年的和平、繁荣和安全。在我们取得胜利之后，在区域伙伴的帮助下，加沙的非军事化和非激进化也能够带来安全、繁荣与和平的未来。这是我对加沙的愿景。现在，这是我对更广泛的中东地区的愿景。它在一定程度上也受到我们在二战后所看到的影响。在那场战争之后，美国在欧洲建立了一个安全联盟，以应对苏联日益增长的威胁。同样，美国和以色列今天可以在中东建立安全联盟，以应对日益增长的伊朗威胁。所有与以色列和平相处的国家和所有将与以色列和平相处的国家都应该被邀请加入这个联盟。我们在 4 月 14 日看到了这种潜在联盟的一瞥。在美国的领导下，超过六个国家与以色列并肩努力，帮助抵消伊朗向我们发射的数百枚导弹和无人机。我所设想的新联盟将是开创性的《亚伯拉罕协议》的自然延伸。这些协议见证了以色列与四个阿拉伯国家之间达成的和平，并得到了共和党和民主党的支持。我为这个新联盟起了个名字。我认为我们应该称它为：亚伯拉罕联盟。我要感谢特朗普总统在促成具有历史意义的《亚伯拉罕协议》方面发挥的领导作用。像美国人一样，以色列人松了一口气，因为特朗普总统在对他的卑鄙攻击中安然无恙，对美国民主的卑鄙攻击中安然无恙。在民主国家中，没有政治暴力的余地。我还要感谢特朗普总统为以色列所做的一切，从承认以色列对戈兰高地的主权，到对抗伊朗的侵略，再到承认耶路撒冷为我们的首都，并将美国大使馆迁至那里。那就是耶路撒冷，我们永远的首都，永远不会再分裂。我亲爱的朋友们，民主党人和共和党人，尽管经历了这些动荡时期，但我对未来充满希望。我对以色列充满希望，因为我的人民，犹太人民，从地狱的深处，从剥夺和种族灭绝中走出来，克服重重困难，我们恢复了我们古老家园的主权，我们建立了一个强大而充满活力的民主国家，一个为了改善全人类而突破创新界限的民主国家。我对美国充满希望，因为我对美国人充满希望。我知道这个国家的人民为捍卫自由做出了多少牺牲。在一个黑暗和危险的世界中，美国将继续成为光明和善良的力量。对于世界各地的自由人民来说，美国仍然是其非凡的开国元勋们在1776年所设想的自由灯塔。我相信，通过共同努力，我们两国将击败威胁我们两国的暴君和恐怖分子。作为以色列总理，我向你们保证：无论需要多长时间，无论前方的道路多么艰难，以色列都不会松懈。以色列不会屈服。我们将保卫我们的土地。我们将保卫我们的人民。我们将战斗到取得胜利。自由战胜暴政，生命战胜死亡，善战胜邪恶。这是我们的庄严承诺。我们将继续与美国和我们的阿拉伯伙伴合作，将一个陷入困境的地区从压迫、贫困和战争的死水转变为一个拥有尊严、繁荣与和平的繁荣绿洲。在这项崇高使命中，正如在许多其他使命中一样，以色列将永远是美国不可或缺的盟友。无论风雨同舟，无论顺境还是逆境，以色列永远是你忠实的朋友和坚定的伙伴。我今天代表以色列人民来到这里，要说：谢谢你，美国。感谢您的支持和声援。感谢你们在我们需要帮助的时刻与以色列站在一起。我们将共同捍卫我们共同的文明。我们将共同努力，确保我们两国的辉煌未来。愿上帝保佑以色列。 愿上帝保佑美国。 愿上帝永远保佑以色列和美国之间的伟大联盟。![]()
FULL TEXT: Netanyahu's 2024
Address to Congresshttps://www.timesofisrael.com/were-protecting-you-full-text-of-netanyahus-address-to-congress/The following is the full text of
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before a joint session of Congress
on July 25, 2024, as issued by his office.Speaker of the House Mike Johnson,
Senator Ben
Cardin,
Minority Leader
Hakeem Jeffries,
Senate Majority
Leader Chuck Schumer,
Senate Minority
Leader Mitch McConnell,
Senators,
Members of
Congress,
Distinguished
guests,Mr. Speaker, I want to thank you for giving me the
profound honor of addressing this great citadel of democracy for the fourth
time.We meet today at a crossroads of history. Our world is
in upheaval. In the Middle East, Iran’s axis of terror confronts America,
Israel and our Arab friends. This is not a clash of civilizations. It’s a clash
between barbarism and civilization. It’s a clash between those who glorify
death and those who sanctify life.For the forces of civilization to triumph, America and
Israel must stand together. Because when we stand together, something very
simple happens. We win. They lose.And my friends, I came to assure you today of one
thing: we will win.Ladies and gentlemen,
Like December 7th, 1941, and
September 11th, 2001, October 7th is a day that will forever live in infamy.It was the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. It began
as a perfect day. Not a cloud in the sky. Thousands of young Israelis were
celebrating at an outdoor music festival. And suddenly, at 6:29 a.m., as
children were still sleeping soundly in their beds in the towns and kibbutzim
next to Gaza, suddenly heaven turned into hell. Three thousand Hamas terrorists
stormed into Israel. They butchered 1,200 people from 41 countries, including
39 Americans. Proportionately, compared to our population size, that’s like 20
9/11s in one day. And these monsters, they raped women, they beheaded men, they
burnt babies alive, they killed parents in front of their children and children
in front of their parents. They dragged 255 people, both living in dead, into
the dark dungeons of Gaza.Israel has already brought home 135 of these hostages,
including seven who were freed in daring rescue operations. One of those freed
hostages, Noa Argamani, is here in the gallery sitting near my wife Sara.On the morning of October 7th, the entire world saw
Noa’s look of desperation as she was violently abducted to Gaza on the back of
a motorcycle. I met Noa’s mother Liora a few months ago. She was dying of
cancer. She said to me, “Prime Minister, I have one final wish. I wish to hug
my daughter Noa one last time before I die.”Two months ago, I authorized a breathtaking commando
rescue operation. Our Special Forces, including a heroic officer named Arnon
Zmora, who fell in this battle, rescued Noa and three other hostages.I think it’s one of the most moving things, when Noa
was reunited with her mother, Liora, and her mother’s last wish came true.Noa, we’re so thrilled to have you with us today.
Thank you.Many hostage families are also here with us today,
including Eliyahu Bibas. Eliyahu Bibas is the grandfather of those two
beautiful red-headed boys, the Bibas boys, toddlers. And they were taken
hostage with their mother and Eliyahu’s son. The entire family was taken
hostage. Two beautiful red-haired children taken hostage. What monsters.And with us also is Iris Haim, whose son Yotam bravely
escaped Hamas captivity with two other Israelis, and tragically they were
killed making their way back to our lines.We have with us also the families of American
hostages. They’re here.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. All of them.As we speak, we’re actively engaged in intensive
efforts to secure their release, and I’m confident that these efforts can
succeed. Some of them are taking place right now.I want to thank President Biden for his tireless
efforts on behalf of the hostages and for his efforts to the hostage families
as well.I thank President Biden for his heartful support for
Israel after the savage attack on October 7th. He rightly called Hamas “sheer
evil.” He dispatched two aircraft carriers to the Middle East to deter a wider
war. And he came to Israel to stand with us during our darkest hour, a visit
that will never be forgotten.President Biden and I have known each other for over
forty years. I want to thank him for half a century of friendship to Israel and
for being, as he says, a proud Zionist. Actually, he says, a proud Irish
American Zionist.My friends, for more than nine months, Israel’s
soldiers have shown boundless courage.With us today is Lieutenant Avichail Reuven. Avichail
is an officer in the Israeli paratroopers. His family immigrated to Israel from
Ethiopia. In the early hours of October 7th, Avichail heard the news of Hamas’
bloody rampage. He put on his uniform, grabbed his rifle, but he didn’t have a
car. So he ran eight miles to the frontlines of Gaza to defend his people. You
heard that right. He ran eight miles, came to the frontlines, killed many
terrorists and saved many, many lives. Avichail, we all honor your remarkable
heroism.Another Israeli is with us here today. He’s standing
right next to Avichail. This is Master Sergeant Ashraf al Bahiri. Ashraf is a
Bedouin soldier from the Israeli Muslim community of Rahat. On October 7th,
Ashraf too killed many terrorists. First, he defended his comrades in the
military base, and he then rushed to defend the neighboring communities,
including the devastated community of Kibbutz Be’eri.Like Ashraf, the Muslim soldiers of the IDF fought
alongside their Jewish, Druze, Christian and other comrades in arms with
tremendous bravery.A third hero, Lieutenant Asa Sofer is also here with
us. Asa fought as an officer in the tank corps, and he was wounded in battle.
He was wounded in battle while protecting his fellow soldiers from a grenade.
He lost his right arm and the vision in his left eye. He’s recovering, and
incredibly, within a short time, Asa will soon return to active duty as a
commander of a tank company.I just learned there’s a fourth hero here – Lieutenant
Yonatan, Jonathan Ben Hamo who lost a leg in Gaza and continued to fight.My friends, these are the soldiers of Israel—unbowed,
undaunted, unafraid.As the Bible says, “עם כלביא יקום” —they shall rise
like lions. They’ve risen like lions, the lions of Judah, the lions of Israel.Ladies and Gentlemen,
The men and women of the IDF come
from every corner of Israeli society, every ethnicity, every color, every
creed, left and right, religious and secular. All are imbued with the
indomitable spirit of the Maccabees, the legendary Jewish warriors of antiquity.With us today is Yechiel Leiter, the father of one of
those Maccabees. Yehiel’s father escaped the Holocaust and found refuge in
America. As a young man, Yechiel moved to Israel and raised a family of eight
children. He named his eldest son Moshe after his late father. Moshe became an
exemplary officer in one of our elite commando units. He served with
distinction for two decades while raising six beautiful children of his own.On October 7th, Moshe volunteered to return to combat.
Four weeks later, he was killed when a booby-trap mine exploded in a tunnel
shaft right next to a Mosque. At his son’s funeral Yechiel said this: “If the
State of Israel had not been established after the Holocaust, the image
engraved in our collective memory would have been the photograph of that
helpless Jewish boy in the Warsaw Ghetto holding his hands up in the air with
Nazi riffles pointed at him. But because of the birth of Israel,” Yechiel continued,
“because of the courage of soldiers like my son Moshe, the Jewish people are no
longer helpless in the face of our enemies.”Yechiel, please rise so we can honor your son’s
sacrifice. And I pledge to you and to all the bereaved families of Israel, some
of whom are in this hall today, the sacrifice of your loved ones will not be in
vain. It will not be in vain because for Israel, “never again” must never be an
empty promise. It must always remain a sacred vow. And after October 7th,
“never again” is now.My friends,
Defeating our brutal enemies
requires both courage and clarity. Clarity begins by knowing the difference
between good and evil. Yet incredibly many anti-Israel protesters, many choose
to stand with evil. They stand with Hamas. They stand with rapists and
murderers. They stand with people who came into the kibbutzim, into a home, the
parents hid the children, the two babies, in the attic, in a secret attic. They
murdered the family, the parents, they found the secret latch to the hidden
attic and then they murdered the babies. These protesters stand with them. They
should be ashamed of themselves.They refuse to make the simple distinction between
those who target terrorists and those who target civilians, between the
democratic State of Israel and the terrorist thugs of Hamas. We recently
learned from the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, that Iran is funding
and promoting anti-Israel protests in America. They want to disrupt America. So
these protesters burned American flags even on the 4th of July. And I wish to
salute the fraternity brothers at the University of North Carolina who protected
the American flag, protected the American flag against these anti-Israel
protesters.For all we know, Iran is funding the anti-Israel
protests that are going on right now outside this building—not that many, but
they’re there—and throughout the city. Well, I have a message for these
protesters: When the Tyrants of Tehran, who hang gays from cranes and murder
women for not covering their hair, are praising, promoting and funding you, you
have officially become Iran’s useful idiots.It’s amazing, absolutely amazing. Some of these
protesters hold up signs proclaiming “Gays for Gaza.” They might as well hold
up signs saying “Chickens for KFC.”These protesters chant “From the river to the sea.”
But many don’t have a clue what river and what sea they’re talking about. They
not only get an F in geography, they get an F in history. They call Israel a
colonialist state. Don’t they know that the Land of Israel is where Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob prayed, where Isaiah and Jeremiah preached and where David and
Solomon ruled?For nearly four thousand years, the land of Israel has
been the homeland of the Jewish people. It’s always been our home; it will
always be our home.It’s not only the campus protesters who get it wrong.
It’s also the people who run those campuses. Eighty years after the Holocaust,
the presidents of Harvard, Penn, and I’m ashamed to say my alma mater MIT
couldn’t bring themselves to condemn the calls for the genocide of Jews.
Remember what they said? They said, it depends on the context. Well, let me
give these befuddled academics a little context.Antisemitism is the world’s oldest hatred. For
centuries, the massacre of Jews was always preceded by wild accusations. We
were accused of everything from poisoning wells to spreading plagues to using
the blood of slaughtered children to bake Passover matzos. These preposterous
antisemitic lies led to persecution, mass murder and ultimately to history’s
worst genocide, the Holocaust.Now, just as malicious lies were levelled for
centuries at the Jewish people, malicious lies are now being levelled at the
Jewish state. No, no. Don’t applaud. Listen. The outrageous slanders that paint
Israel as racist and genocidal are meant to delegitimize Israel, to demonize
the Jewish State and to demonize Jews everywhere. And no wonder, no wonder
we’ve witnessed an appalling rise of antisemitism in America and around the
world.My friends,
Whenever and wherever we see the
scourge of antisemitism, we must unequivocally condemn it and resolutely fight
it, without exception.And don’t be fooled when the blood libels against the
Jewish State come from people who wear fancy silk robes and speak in lofty
tones about law and Justice.Here’s a case in point: The prosecutor of the
International Criminal Court has shamefully accused Israel of deliberately
starving the people of Gaza. This is utter complete nonsense. It’s a complete
fabrication. Israel has enabled more than 40,000 aid trucks to enter Gaza.
That’s half a million tons of food, and that’s more than 3,000 calories for
every man, woman and child in Gaza. If there are Palestinians in Gaza who
aren’t getting enough food, it’s not because Israel is blocking it, it’s
because Hamas is stealing it.So much for that lie, but here’s another: The ICC
prosecutor accuses Israel of deliberately targeting civilians. What in God’s
green earth is he talking about? The IDF has dropped millions of flyers, sent
millions of text messages, made hundreds of thousands of phone calls to get
Palestinian civilians out of harm’s way. But at the same time, Hamas does
everything in its power to put Palestinian civilians in harm’s way. They fire
rockets from schools, from hospitals, from mosques. They even shoot their own people
when they try to leave the war zone. A senior Hamas official Fathi Hamad
boasted – Listen to this – He boasted that Palestinian women and children excel
at being human shields. His words: “excel at being human shields.” What
monstrous evil.For Israel, every civilian death is a tragedy. For
Hamas, it’s a strategy. They actually want Palestinian civilians to die, so
that Israel will be smeared in the international media and be pressured to end
the war before it’s won.This would enable Hamas to survive another day, and as
they vowed, to carry out October 7th again and again and again. Well, I want to
assure you, no matter what pressure is brought to bear, I will never allow that
to happen.The vast majority of Americans have not fallen for
this Hamas propaganda. They continue to support Israel, and I want to say:
Thank you America, and thank you, senators and house members who continue to
support us, continue to support Israel, continue to support the truth and see
through the lies.But as for the minority that may have fallen for
Hamas’s con job, I suggest you listen to Colonel John Spencer. John Spencer is
head of urban warfare studies at West Point. He studied every major urban
conflict, I was going to say in modern history, he corrected me. No. In
history.Israel, he said, has implemented more precautions to
prevent civilian harm than any military in history and beyond what
international law requires.That’s why despite all the lies you’ve heard, the war
in Gaza has one of the lowest ratios of combatants to non-combatant casualties
in the history of urban warfare. And you want to know where it’s lowest in
Gaza? It’s lowest in Rafah. In Rafah. Remember what so many people said? If
Israel goes into Rafah, there’ll be thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of
civilians killed. Well, last week I went into Rafah. I visited our troops as
they finished fighting Hamas’ remaining terrorist battalions. I asked the
commander there, “How many terrorists did you take out in Rafah?” He gave me an
exact number: 1,203. I asked him, “How many civilians were killed?” He said,
“Prime Minister, practically none. With the exception of a single incident,
where shrapnel from a bomb hit a Hamas weapons depot and unintentionally killed
two dozen people, the answer is practically none.” You want to know why?
Because Israel got the civilians out of harm’s way, something people said we
could never do, but we did it.These heroes here today, the heroic soldiers of
Israel, should not be condemned for how they’re conducting the war in Gaza.
They should be commended for it.I want to thank all of you here today who have
forcefully opposed the false accusations of the ICC and stood up for the truth.
These lies are not only libelous. They’re downright dangerous. The ICC is
trying to shackle Israel’s hands and prevent us from defending ourselves. And
if Israel’s hands are tied, America is next. I’ll tell you what else is next.
The ability of all democracies to fight terrorism will be imperiled. That’s
what’s on the line. So let me assure you, the hands of the Jewish state will never
be shackled. Israel will always defend itself.My friends,
In the Middle East, Iran is
virtually behind all the terrorism, all the turmoil, all the chaos, all the
killing. And that should come as no surprise. When he founded the Islamic
Republic, Ayatollah Khomeini pledged, “We will export our revolution to the entire
world. We will export the Islamic revolution to the entire world.” Now, ask
yourself, which country ultimately stands in the way of Iran’s maniacal plans
to impose radical Islam on the world? And the answer is clear: It’s America,
the guardian of Western civilization and the world’s greatest power. That’s why
Iran sees America as its greatest enemy.Last month, I heard a revealing comment, ostensibly
about the war in Gaza, but about something else. It came from the foreign
minister of Iran’s proxy, Hezbollah, and he said this: “This is not a war with
Israel. Israel,” he said, “is merely a tool. The main war, the real war, is
with America.”Iran’s regime has been fighting America from the
moment it came to power. In 1979, it stormed the American embassy, it held
scores of Americans hostage for 444 days. Since then, Iran’s terrorist proxies
have targeted America in the Middle East and beyond. In Beirut, they killed 241
U.S. servicemen. In Africa, they bombed American embassies. In Iraq, they
supplied explosives to maim and kill thousands of American soldiers. In
America, they actually sent death squads. They sent death squads here to murder
a former secretary of state and a former national security adviser. And as we
recently learned, they even brazenly threatened to assassinate President Trump.But Iran understands that to truly challenge America,
it must first conquer the Middle East. And for this it uses its many proxies,
including the Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas. Yet in the heart of the Middle
East, standing in Iran’s way, is one proud pro-American democracy—my country,
the State of Israel.That’s why the mobs in Tehran chant “Death to Israel”
before they chant “Death to America.” For Iran Israel is first, America is
next. So, when Israel fights Hamas, we’re fighting Iran. When we fight
Hezbollah, we’re fighting Iran. When we fight the Houthis, we’re fighting Iran.
And when we fight Iran, we’re fighting the most radical and murderous enemy of
the United States of America.And one more thing. When Israel acts to prevent Iran
from developing nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons that could destroy Israel and
threaten every American city, every city that you come from, we’re not only
protecting ourselves. We’re protecting you.My friends,
If you remember one thing, one
thing from this speech, remember this: Our enemies are your enemies, our fight
is your fight, and our victory will be your victory.Ladies and gentlemen,
That victory is in sight.
Israel’s defeat of Hamas will be a powerful blow to Iran’s axis of terror.
Another part of that axis, Hezbollah, attacked Israel on October 8th, a day
after the Hamas attack. It has launched thousands of missiles and drones against
us. 80,000 of our citizens in northern Israel evacuated their homes, becoming
effectively refugees in their own land. We are committed to returning them
home. We prefer to achieve this diplomatically. But let me be clear: Israel will
do whatever it must do to restore security to our northern border and return
our people safely to their homes.Last Friday, a third Iranian proxy, the Houthis,
attacked Tel Aviv with a deadly drone. It exploded a few hundred feet from the
American consulate, killing one person and injuring nine. On Saturday, I
authorized a swift response to that attack.All our enemies should know this. Those who attack
Israel will pay a very heavy price.And as we defend ourselves on all fronts, I know that
America has our back. And I thank you for it. All sides of the aisle. Thank
you.My friends,
For decades, America has provided
Israel with generous military assistance, and a grateful Israel has provided
America with critical intelligence that saved many lives. We’ve jointly
developed some of the most sophisticated weapons on Earth. I choose my words
carefully: we’ve jointly developed some of the most sophisticated weapons on
Earth, that help protect both our countries. And we also help keep American
boots off the ground while protecting our shared interests in the Middle East.I deeply appreciate America’s support, including in
this current war. But this is an exceptional moment. Fast tracking US military
aid can dramatically expedite an end to the war in Gaza and help prevent a
broader war in the Middle East.In World War II, as Britain fought on the frontlines
of civilization, Winston Churchill appealed to Americans with these famous
words: “Give us the tools and we’ll finish the job.” Today, as Israel fights on
the frontline of civilization, I too appeal to America: “Give us the tools
faster, and we’ll finish the job faster.”My dear friends,
The war in Gaza could end
tomorrow if Hamas surrenders, disarms and returns all the hostages. But if they
don’t, Israel will fight until we destroy Hamas’ military capabilities and its
rule in Gaza and bring all our hostages home.That’s what total victory means, and we will settle
for nothing less.The day after we defeat Hamas, a new Gaza can emerge.
My vision for that day is of a demilitarized and deradicalized Gaza. Israel
does not seek to resettle Gaza. But for the foreseeable future, we must retain
overriding security control there to prevent the resurgence of terror, to
ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel.Gaza should have a civilian administration run by
Palestinians who do not seek to destroy Israel. That’s not too much to ask.
It’s a fundamental thing that we have a right to demand and to receive.A new generation of Palestinians must no longer be
taught to hate Jews but rather to live in peace with us. Those twin words,
demilitarization and deradicalization, those two concepts were applied to
Germany and Japan after World War II, and that led to decades of peace,
prosperity and security.Following our victory, with the help of regional
partners, the demilitarization and deradicalization of Gaza can also lead to a
future of security, prosperity and peace. That’s my vision for Gaza.Now, here’s my vision for the broader Middle East.
It’s also shaped in part by what we saw in the aftermath of World War II. After
that war, America forged a security alliance in Europe to counter the growing
Soviet threat. Likewise, America and Israel today can forge a security alliance
in the Middle East to counter the growing Iranian threat.All countries that are in peace with Israel and all
those countries who will make peace with Israel should be invited to join this
alliance. We saw a glimpse of that potential alliance on April 14th. Led by the
United States, more than half a dozen nations worked alongside Israel to help
neutralize hundreds of missiles and drones launched by Iran against us.Thank you, President Biden, for bringing that
coalition together.The new alliance I envision would be a natural
extension of the groundbreaking Abraham Accords. Those Accords saw peace forged
between Israel and four Arab countries, and they were supported by Republican
and Democrats alike.I have a name for this new alliance. I think we should
call it: The Abraham Alliance.I want to thank President Trump for his leadership in
brokering the historic Abraham Accords. Like Americans, Israelis were relieved
that President Trump emerged safe and sound from that dastardly attack on him,
dastardly attack on American democracy. There is no room for political violence
in democracies.I also want to thank President Trump for all the
things he did for Israel, from recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan
Heights, to confronting Iran’s aggression, to recognizing Jerusalem as our
capital and moving the American embassy there. That’s Jerusalem, our eternal
capital never to be divided again.My dear friends, Democrats and Republicans,
Despite these
times of upheaval, I’m hopeful about the future. I’m hopeful about Israel
because my people, the Jewish people, emerged from the depths of hell, from
dispossession and genocide, and against all odds we restored our sovereignty in
our ancient homeland, we built a powerful and vibrant democracy, a democracy
that pushes the boundaries of innovation for the betterment of all humanity.I’m hopeful about America because I’m hopeful about
Americans. I know how much the people of this country have sacrificed to defend
freedom. America will continue to be a force for light and good in a dark and
dangerous world. For free peoples everywhere, America remains the beacon of
liberty its extraordinary founders envisioned back in 1776.Working together, I’m confident that our two nations
will vanquish the tyrants and terrorists who threaten us both. As Israel’s
prime minister, I promise you this: no matter how long it takes, no matter how
difficult the road ahead, Israel will not relent. Israel will not bend. We will
defend our land. We will defend our people. We will fight until we achieve
victory. Victory of liberty over tyranny, victory of life over death, victory
of good over evil. That’s our solemn commitment.And we will continue to work with the United States
and our Arab partners to transform a troubled region, from a backwater of
oppression, poverty and war into a thriving oasis of dignity, prosperity and
peace. In this noble mission, as in many others, Israel will always remain
America’s indispensable ally. Through thick and thin, in good times and in bad,
Israel will always be your loyal friend and your steadfast partner.On behalf of the people of Israel, I came here today
to say: Thank you, America. Thank you for your support and solidarity. Thank
you for standing with Israel in our hour of need. Together, we shall defend our
common civilization. Together, we shall secure a brilliant future for both our
nations.May God bless Israel.
May God bless America.
And may God
bless the great alliance between Israel and America forever.
