While nearly half of the Democrats in Congress boycotted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s appearance before Congress, the entire New Hampshire delegation was on hand to hear his speech.
That included Rep. Annie Kuster, who’s not seeking reelection to her Second Congressional District seat. All three of the major GOP candidates for it told NHJournal they, like Kuster, would have attended Netanyahu’s speech.
Interestingly, neither of the two Democrats in the primary, former Biden administration official Maggie Goodlander and former Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern, would say the same. Both declined to answer the question when contacted by NHJournal.
Anti-Israel sentiment has roiled the Democratic Party at both the national and local levels since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack and the Israeli military response it inspired. When protests swept across college campuses from San Diego to Durham, N.H., Republicans denounced them and what they called the antisemitic messages.
In particular, Republicans like Gov. Chris Sununu called out protesters for chanting “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Shall Be Free,” which many Jewish organizations say is a call for the destruction of the Jewish State of Israel.
But Democrats were divided, with some prominent members of Congress like Rep. Rashina Tlaib (D-Mich.) supporting the protests.
On Wednesday, the protests outside the U.S. Capitol turned violent. According to reporting by Jewish Insider, “demonstrators assaulted a police officer while he was making an arrest; spray painted ‘Hamas is comin’ on a statue outside D.C.’s Union Station, along with other pro-Hamas graffiti; carried Hamas flags; called for a ‘final solution’; burned an effigy of Netanyahu and carried one showing him with horns covered in blood; and took down and burned an American flag outside Union Station before replacing it with a Palestinian flag.”
Netanyahu mocked the protesters in his remarks to Congress.
“We recently learned from the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, that Iran is funding and promoting anti-Israel protests in America,” Netanyahu noted. “Well, I have a message for these protesters: When the Tyrants of Tehran, who hang gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair, are praising, promoting and funding you, you have officially become Iran’s useful idiots.
“Some of these protesters hold up signs proclaiming ‘Gays for Gaza,’ Netanyahu added. “They might as well hold up signs saying ‘Chickens for KFC.’”
Meanwhile, some Granite State Democrats took to social media to attack Netanyahu.
State Rep. Alissandra Murray (D-Manchester) denounced the “criminal Netanyahu and his decimation of Gaza.”
Rep. DT Ford, also a Manchester Democrat, called Netanyahu a “war criminal,” echoing a hand sign Tlaib waved from the floor of the House. He also bemoaned the fact that Sen. Maggie Hassan was sitting on the front row. “Expected,” Ford tweeted.
Asked if they would have attended Netanyahu’s speech on Wednesday, all three top-tier Republicans in the Second Congressional District race promptly answered yes.
“I absolutely would attend and anyone who would boycott is not fit to represent the people of New Hampshire. This boycott is just another example of the anti-Semitism that is running rampant within the Democrat Party,” said Vikram Mansharamani.
Lily Tang Williams agreed.
“Of course I would attend Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address to Congress. Israel is a critical ally of the United States, and is the only democracy in the Middle East. It is a strategic and moral responsibility for us to support them and work with them to bring a long-lasting peace deal in their region.”
Businessman William Hamlen echoed the other candidates’ sentiments.
“I would absolutely attend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress. Israel is one of our greatest and most steadfast allies. The boycott by some congressional Democrats is deeply disappointing. Their decision to boycott this address undermines the strong and historic relationship between the U.S. and Israel.”
But on the other side of the aisle, there was silence. Neither candidate would answer questions about Netanyahu’s appearance and there’s no mention in their social media feeds.
If Goodlander supports the boycott, that could be particularly problematic because her husband Jake Sullivan is President Joe Biden’s national security advisor and helps craft U.S. policy toward Israel.
Netanyahu concluded his speech with a message for members of both parties.
“If you remember one thing, one thing from this speech, remember this: Our enemies are your enemies, our fight is your fight, and our victory will be your victory.”
