Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized American protesters and promoted conspiracy theories that Iran paid demonstrators to criticize his regime in a controversial address to Congress on Wednesday.
Thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets surrounding the Capitol to peacefully protest Netanyahu’s invitation and speech before members of Congress, while dozens of members refused to attend the event in protest of his war effort, with the Prime Minister baselessly promoting a theory that the protests weren’t organic responses.
“For all we know, Iran is funding the anti-Israel protests going on right now outside this building,” Netanyahu baselessly claimed. “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.”
The divisive speech was blasted by representatives — even staunch supporters of Israel — including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who called his address “by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary” before Congress in a post to X.
Demonstrators outside the building pushed for an end to the humanitarian crisis created by Netanyahu’s military actions, while demonstrators inside, including Rep. Rashida Tlaib and family members of hostages taken by Hamas ripped Netanyahu as a war criminal and for scrambling multiple deals to free hostages.
There is no evidence to suggest they, or any other American demonstrators since Israel began its assault on the Gaza strip in October of last year, were tied to Iran.
Additionally, despite the illegality of same-sex marriage within Israel, Netanyahu attempted to use queer identities to justify his regime’s brutal response to Hamas’s attack on Israel, killing nearly 40,000 Gazans and displacing two million more, a move that critics called “pinkwashing.”
“Absolutely amazing. Some of these protesters hold up signs proclaiming gays for Gaza,” Netanyahu said. “They might as well hold up signs saying ‘Chickens for KFC."
Netanyahu: Some of these protesters hold up signs that say 'Gays for Gaza,' they may as well hold up signs that say 'Chickens for KFC' pic.twitter.com/E67gIFiTAK
— jordan (@JordanUhl) July 24, 2024
The remarks immediately garnered scrutiny from social media users, who pointed out that the deaths of innocent civilians in Gaza were not justified by the beliefs held by members of Hamas.
“It is Hamas specifically that homophobically persecutes gay Palestinians. In other words, to be accurate, the 'KFC' in the joke should be HAMAS, not Palestine or Gaza,” Palestinian peace activist John Aziz wrote in a post to X.
Others pointed to the seemingly indiscriminate bombing campaign that’s killed countless LGBTQ+ Palestinians, deriding Netanyahu for weaponizing queerness against them.
“Netanyahu [is] up there making fun of gays supporting Palestine calling them 'chickens for kfc' like he’s not killing innocent gay civilians in Gaza,” one X user wrote.
