Dear Friend of APN,

When Speaker Johnson invited Prime Minister Netanyahu to speak to a joint session of Congress,  we quickly made it clear that we would, in solidarity with our Israeli sisters and brothers, be protesting, and calling on members of Congress to skip the speech altogether. And half of House and Senate Democrats did just that!

And even among those who went to the speech, many issued statements clearly opposing Netanyahu and demanding that he prioritize ending the war and the return of the hostages. 

So yeah, he came. He spoke. But he by no means conquered. 

Netanyahu invoked more tropes than a bad comedian in the Catskills. He opened by calling the Capitol the citadel of democracy. He then thanked President Biden for coming to Israel in its darkest hour. He brought four Israeli soldiers with him to sit in the audience so that he could bask in the applause for their bravery. He thanked Trump for the Abraham Accords and for moving the embassy to Jerusalem, the “undivided capital of Israel.” He closed by promising that Israel will always remain America’s undisputed ally. 

But as we all know, Bibi speaking in English to an American audience is never where the truth sits. 

The truth sits in the fact that his government failed the people of Israel on October 7 and has still not accepted responsibility. The truth sits with the 120 hostages still in captivity in Gaza and with their grieving families. The truth sits with the ruling last week by the International Court of Justice that Israel’s policies in occupied Palestinian territory amount to annexation and are unlawful. The truth sits with settlers who continue to traffic in hatred and horrifying violence on a daily basis.

We called on members of Congress to skip the speech, and they did. And we called on people who care about Israelis and Palestinians, who care about security and justice and who care about peace and a better future to come out in protest. And they did. And we did.

We stood shoulder to shoulder with hostage families demanding that Netanyahu “Seal the Deal” to end the war and bring home their loved ones. And I took a turn on the microphone where I spoke about the first lesson I learned during my service in the Israeli army: never leave anyone behind. Evidently, Netanyahu never learned that lesson. Not only has he abandoned the hostages in Gaza and their grieving families, but he has also abandoned Israel’s future. Instead of working to end the war and to build toward peace, he spends his time chasing photo ops and hoping for applause. 

And following the protests, we went from the streets to the halls of Congress. Together with partners like the Center for American Progress and Win Without War, we organized a Congressional briefing for some of those many Members of Congress who, like us, chose to skip the speech. We were joined by inspiring peace activists Maoz Inon, Aziz Abu Sarah, and Nadav Weiman. And instead of listening to tired cliches and tepid talking points, we talked about what to do. How to make things better. How to move toward peace and build better lives for Israelis and Palestinians. Because that is why we are doing this– we want to see a better future.

We know that those of you who could join us for the protests in Washington did. And we know that those of you who couldn’t were with us in spirit. We are so grateful for our community of supporters – activists, donors, advocates for Israel – who believe in the need to speak out clearly in service of building a better future for everyone. 

We felt the power of your presence with us in Washington yesterday as we did what we do best–take to the streets and to the halls of Congress. 

We need you with us every day as we speak the hard truths that others don’t want to say out loud, push for change that disrupts the establishment, and call for a path to a peaceful and more just future for all Israelis and Palestinians. 

When you make a gift to APN, you are supporting us as we agitate, educate, and move closer towards that path. Thank you, always, for your dedication to peace. 

B’shalom,