Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress Wednesday afternoon during a joint session on Capitol Hill in an effort to bolster support for Israel.
"We meet today at a crossroads of history. Our world is in upheaval," Netanyahu said in his opening remarks to Congress,
"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," he said.
Netanyahu, who touted his speech as his fourth address on Capitol Hill, claimed the war in Gaza 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," he explained.
He also addressed campus protests in the United States, saying anti-Israel protesters "have become Iran's useful idiots."
Netanyahu vowed to bring back the remaining hostages who were captured as part of the Oct. 7 attacks.
"The pain these families have endured is beyond words," he said. "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."
Israel is "actively engaged in intensive efforts to secure their release," he claimed, according to CNN. "I'm confident that these efforts can succeed."
Netanyahu also took the time to thank President Joe Biden for his "tireless efforts on behalf of hostages and his efforts to the hostages' families," and expressed gratitude for their decades-long relationship.
"President Biden and I have known each other for over 40 years. I want to thank him for half a century of friendship to Israel and being, as he says, a proud zionist. Actually he says, a proud Irish American zionist," he said.
"I thank President Biden for his heart-felt support for Israel. After the savage attack on October 7, 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," continued Netanyahu.
Biden will meet with Netanyahu later this week.
Ahead of his visit, Netanyahu said he sought to "anchor the bipartisan support that is so important to Israel; and I will tell my friends on both sides of the aisle that regardless who the American people choose as their next President, Israel remains America's indispensable and strong ally in the Middle East," in a video posted on X.
"There will also be an opportunity to discuss with him how to advance in the critical months ahead the goals that are important for both our countries: achieving the release of all our hostages, defeating the Hamas... and ensuring that all Israeli citizens return safely to their homes," he said.
Several prominent Democrats skipped Netanyahu's address, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris, who is on the campaign trail in Indianapolis, NBC News reported.
Netanyahu's visit has been met with controversy, particularly among Democrats, who have expressed anger and frustration over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war, his inability to reach a cease-fire agreement, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza it has spurred.
New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claimed that a large number of seats during Netanyahu's address were filled by non-members of Congress because of the number of Democrats who refused to attend.
