The Speech That Netanyahu SHOULD Give In Congress

I’m not expecting miracles, but these words could spark a brighter future.

Learning lessons in leadership: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a critical moment this week in Washington.

Esteemed dignitaries, 

I am honored to stand before you today for the fourth – and last – time to address the most important legislative body in the world, the U.S. Congress, as prime minister of Israel.

On my return home, I plan to make an important announcement that I hope will help ease some of the pain the people of Israel have suffered, and for which I take a large measure of responsibility. 

I have been mulling over this decision for some time but it came into sharp relief as we begin The Three Weeks, a time of semi-mourning leading up to Tisha B’Av, marking the destruction of the Holy Temple. Tisha B’Av is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, and our sages say the tragedy was the result of “sinat chinam,” causeless hatred among Jews. 

Given the trauma of the current war and widespread criticism, at home and abroad, of my leadership leading up to October 7, and my conduct since then, I took it upon myself to engage in a “cheshbon ha’nefesh,” serious self-reflection.

I came to the conclusion that as a proud Jew, lover of  Israel and great admirer of the United States, I should take a lesson from three prominent figures, past and present, who showed their understanding of true leadership by placing love of country, and its future, above their own personal interests.

Moses Blessed His Successor

I begin with Moses, the greatest leader of the Jewish people in our long history. He showed endless empathy for those Jews who left Egypt as slaves to a wicked Pharaoh and sought to trust a God they could not see. It was Moses who exemplified patience, humility and self-reflection as he stood up for his people, praying that God forgive them for their sins. And it was Moses who, on learning that he would be denied his greatest desire – to lead the Jewish people into the Promised Land – publicly appointed Joshua as his successor and blessed him.

Moses earned his place in heaven for all he achieved on earth, serving and leading a Jewish nation that still honors the commandments he brought down from Mount Sinai thousands of years ago.

George Washington’s Call For Unity 

The United States of America was founded in 1776 as a unique and noble experiment in human rights, personal freedom and democratic ideals. It was George Washington who assured the path of freedom that began almost 250 years ago and remains a source of great pride – and more than a little concern – today. A letter Washington wrote to the fledgling nation on the eve of his retirement from the presidency merits close attention for the lessons that are as relevant today as they were then.

Washington served two terms in office. He could have run for a third –  and likely would have been elected. But after helping to found an anti-monarchy nation based on individual rights, he did not want to create the appearance of the presidency becoming a lifetime position. So he chose to retire, underscoring by example his fervent belief in democratic succession.

Washington wrote a public letter to all Americans emphasizing the importance of unity. He warned against political groups that might value party loyalty over national interests. This, he wrote, could lead to a “spirit of revenge” and allow “cunning, ambitious and unprincipled men” who could “usurp for themselves the reins of government; destroying afterward the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.” 

I leave it to you as members of Congress and leaders of your political parties to take Wasington’s words to heart to determine their relevance today. It’s no wonder that since the end of the Civil War, each year on Washington’s birthday a designated member of the U.S. Senate – alternating between Democrats and Republicans – reads Washington’s farewell address aloud. Is anyone listening?

‘I Have Been Blinded By Power’

With Moses’s and George Washington’s actions in mind, President Joe Biden’s decision in recent days made a profound impact on me. By stepping aside and endorsing his vice president, Kamala Harris, to lead the Democratic ticket, he showed the wisdom of maturity and deep faith in the future of American democracy.

I have served as prime minister of Israel longer than anyone, and during that time I may have come to think of myself as indispensable to the people I am pledged to protect. I would like to think that my motive was one of love for the citizens of Israel and confidence in my policies and decisions. But in truth, in recent times I may have been blinded by power, and politically captive to a few zealots who sincerely believe that it is more important to have a religious state in Israel than a democratic one. 

Our Jewish faith believes deeply in the power of forgiveness. On the High Holy Days we read that even until one’s dying day, our Creator is prepared to grant the gift of atonement. I hope the citizens of Israel will show a measure of that spirit when I announce my retirement from politics and call for new elections, paving the way to a more unified society at a time of great challenges and dangers.

As my final act as prime minister, I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your vital support of the Jewish state, particularly these last 10 months when we in Israel face existential threats from Iran, the foremost sponsor of global terrorism, and its proxies Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. 

I call on your continued support as we seek the return of our hostages and defeat a collective enemy that threatens not only Israel and the Jewish people, but ultimately the United States and the free world as the Islamic state, joined by China and Russia, continues an ongoing fight against democracy, individual freedom and human rights.

Together, we can prevail – in the spirit of those wise leaders who thousands of years ago, two and a half centuries ago, and earlier this week, chose conscience, community and continuity over partisanship and personal power.

God bless America and Am Yisrael Chai.