WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Dean Phillips, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia, issued the following statement in response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a Joint Session of Congress:

"In his address to Congress, Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke about the threat that Iran and its terror proxies pose not only to Israel, but also to the United States and our democratic values. This ongoing threat is acute. We must remain vigilant in ensuring that Iran is never able to acquire a nuclear weapon, and that Israel remains able to defend itself from Iranian aggression. In the face of Hezbollah’s attacks, I applaud the Government of Israel’s willingness to engage diplomatically to restore order on its northern border and to return evacuees safely to their homes.

The Prime Minister also used his address to speak about rising antisemitism in America. Jew hatred has no place in the United States or anywhere in the world, and we must continue to fight against this scourge wherever it exists. Yet, freedom of speech is one of the awesome privileges afforded to American citizens and must fiercely be protected, even when we may virulently disagree with the words. Criticism of or disagreement with the Israeli government’s policies are not inherently antisemitic, and conflating the two is detrimental to our very serious efforts to counter antisemitism and violence targeting the Jewish community.

Finally, the Prime Minister spoke extensively about Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza but refused to acknowledge - or take any responsibility for - the loss of many thousands of innocent Palestinian lives and unimaginable suffering of displaced survivors. Let me be clear, this war was started by Hamas on October 7^th and can be ended by Hamas if it chose to surrender, disarm, and return the 120 hostages that remain in Gaza, including eight Americans. However, the Israeli government has a legal and moral obligation to adhere to international law, limit civilian casualties, and promote robust and unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance and basic services including fresh water and sanitation. The Prime Minister understands that a ceasefire agreement is in reach that will see the immediate release of all hostages and an end to the bloodshed. He cannot shy away from this moment. He needs to make the courageous decision to seal the deal and outline a serious day-after proposal that addresses both the immediate humanitarian needs inside of Gaza and the long-term reconstruction and rehabilitation requirements instead of serving his own political and legal interests.

The time has run out on the Prime Minister’s political gambit. Israel’s security and the region’s stability depends on our ability to meet this critical moment, to embrace bold new leadership, and to take serious, permanent steps towards a two-state solution that would see Israel and a Palestinian state living side-by-side in mutual peace and security."

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