“We shall not fail nor falter, we shall not weaken nor tire. Neither the sudden shock of battle, nor the long-drawn trials of vigilance and exertion will wear us down. Give us the tools and we will finish the job.”
These famous words concluded a speech from Winston Churchill in 1941 as he implored America to help Great Britain in the fight against the evil of the Nazis. Full support from the United States did not come until months later, after the events of Pearl Harbor. But the plea for support combined with a promise of victory became a symbol of Churchill’s greatness. He spoke before Congress three distinct times as the leader of Britain. That was broken today by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, although it seemed as if Netanyahu was almost channeling the spirit of the great leader of 20th century Britain.
Netanyahu’s speech before Congress was passionate and honest, and extremely well received with multiple standing ovations from the senators and representatives present. This was all the more impressive given the many challenges Netanyahu has had to overcome in this trip to the United States. The sickness of Biden; the boycotting of the speech by powerful Democrats including Bernie Sanders, Nancy Pelosi, Jim Clyburn, and Ocasio-Cortez among others; and the absence of Vice President Harris (who was busy at an Indiana sorority fundraiser) combined with protestors outside the Capitol building to make Netanyahu feel unwelcome.
And yet, when he walked into the Senate chamber, like Churchill before him he immediately owned the room.
Netanyahu began his speech with an inspiring and accurate quote about this entire war. “This is not a clash between civilizations,” he said. “It is a clash between barbarism and civilization. It is between those who glorify death and those who sanctify life.” Again, an echo of Churchill’s condemnation and warning about Hitler. History shows that truer words could not have been spoken 80 years ago; and Netanyahu’s words are equally true today about the evils of Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and all the proxies of Iran.
The prime minister spent a fair amount of time discussing the evils of Iran; how these other groups are Iranian puppets; and Iran’s commitment since 1979 to destroy not only Israel, but the United States. He pointed out how pro-Hamas protestors are “useful idiots for Iran” and that “signs saying "Gays for Gaza" might as well be saying "Chickens for KFC”. He condemned the academic world that supports anti-Semitism on their campuses, and gave a brief but terrific history lesson about anti-Semitism, followed by a vow that Israel will always defend herself. “Never Again” was a recurring theme in the first half of his speech as he reminded everyone of the heinous horrors of October 7.
Netanyahu emotionally moved everyone present when he introduced Israeli soldiers who were present and told their stories, including an IDF hero who is a Muslim. He called out the lies about Israel attacking civilians, and reminded the audience how West Point’s John Spencer, the world’s premiere authority on the history of urban warfare, was clear in his assessment that “Israel has done more to prevent civilian casualties in war than any military in history”.
But Netanyahu truly showed his brilliance in both concept and delivery when he discussed the U.S./Israel relationship, and his vision for the future.
Early in the speech, Netanyahu thanked President Biden for his support of Israel early in the war, and for being a “good Irish American Zionist.” At the end of the speech, he expressed his gratitude and respect for President Trump. Netanyahu honored Trump as he spoke of the moving of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and of the importance of the Abraham Accords. He spoke of the importance of the U.S./Israel relationship for both countries, saying, “When the United States and Israel stand together, we win and they lose!.” And he made it clear that “defeating our enemies requires both courage and clarity. Clarity begins with knowing the difference between good and evil.” The prime minister was clear: The United States and Israel together is good, as opposed to Iran/Hamas/Hezbollah et al., which are evil. All too often in our culture we forget that both good and evil do exist. But Netanyahu, like Churchill before him, reminded us that it is our responsibility, privilege, and obligation to defeat the evil of this world as exemplified by Hamas on October 7.
Throughout much of the last nine months of war, people have complained that there is no vision for a post-war Gaza. It is here where Netanyahu again showed his vision, and again based it on post-World War II.
Using both Japan and Germany as examples of building a successful society after a devastating war, Netanyahu was clear that the first thing to be accomplished must be the total demilitarization and de-radicalization of Gaza. But he shared a vision for a successful and long-lasting peace as well.
Netanyahu proposed an alliance of Israel, the United States, and regional partners to monitor the renewal of Gaza. This alliance would ensure that the evils of Hamas or any Iranian proxy would not take hold again. As happened in Germany and Japan 80 years ago, this alliance would also help de-radicalize Gaza and build it up to a fully self-sustaining nation: a productive neighbor and ally to Israel and the other nations in the region. He even proposed a name for it: The Abraham Alliance
This is perhaps the most meaningful piece to come from Netanyahu’s speech, as it proposed a process to obtain a long-term peace. For those who previously thought of Netanyahu as a war hawk, this proposal demonstrated that the opposite is true. Benjamin Netanyahu is a man devoted to a safe peace for Israel and the region. He is committed to a partnership with the United States, and is one of the great leaders of our time.
Welcome home, Winston Churchill. It was a blessing to see the clarity and commitment you showed 80 years ago back in the halls of Congress through the words of Prime Minister Netanyahu.
And we can pray that as the United States did 80 years ago, we will once again stand with a partner devoted to liberty and freedom.
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