US Congressman Steve Womack Approves Israeli Prime Minister’s Joint Address to Congress

Last week, in his joint address to Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on lawmakers to continue supporting Israel in the war with Gaza.

“America and Israel must stand together. When we stand together, something very simple happens: We win, they lose,” said Netanyahu, who wore a yellow pin in solidarity with Israeli hostages held by Hamas, according to the Associated Press.

During the war, Congress has repeatedly approved military aid to Israel. In recent months, support among members of Congress, mainly Democrats, has wavered. They are concerned about Israel’s military tactics, which have been criticized for attacks on civilian areas.

In an interview with Arkies in the Beltway, U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, Republican from Rogers, praised Netanyahu’s speech to Congress.

“The circumstances are different today. They (Israel) were attacked and innocent lives were lost. It’s caused some division, not just here but around the world. I thought he did a very good job of putting things into context,” Womack said.

In his address to lawmakers, Netanyahu also said the US must continue to support Israel because Israel’s war on Gaza is a proxy war with Iran for the US, the New York Times reported.

During Netanyahu’s speech, there were demonstrations outside the Capitol. Protesters said they were protesting war crimes committed by Israel. According to the ICC website, Netanyahu has an arrest warrant for war crimes from the International Criminal Court (ICC). The United Kingdom had planned to challenge the ICC’s arrest warrant but dropped it, the Associated Press reported.