Israelis closely followed Netanyahu’s speech to Congress. For many, it was both uplifting and depressing

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fiery speech to Congress it may have been delivered in Washington, but his words seemed aimed at an audience back home.

The Israelites heard their leader, a gifted orator with impeccable English, present a strong argument for Israel’s actions in the war in Gaza on a global stage. He aimed to portray himself as a consummate statesman who is embraced by the country’s most important ally at a time when Israel has never been more internationally isolated.

O speech could help boost his political fortunes, but it left many Israelis disappointed.

He has shown no sign of substantial progress on a ceasefire agreement which could free hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. He took without responsability for the political and security failures under his watch that led to the deadly Hamas attack on October 7 that triggered the war. And he gave little indication of how he plans to address the crises triggered by the conflict, including the indefinite displacement of tens of thousands of Israelis in the south and north of the country and the damage the war has caused to Israel’s global image. Not to mention the bleak future of Gaza, where tens of thousands of people have been killed, hundreds of thousands displaced and vast areas have been decimated.

Here’s a look at how Netanyahu’s speech is being received in Israel:

Hostage families feel despair and disappointment

Nearly 10 months after their loved ones were captured by Hamas and other militants, the hostages’ families are desperate for their loved ones to return. They directed most of their anger at Netanyahu and that frustration was only exacerbated after his speech. Many expected the prime minister to use the global platform to declare progress in ceasefire negotiations or even announce that a deal had been reached, only to be sorely disappointed.

“As we speak, we are actively engaged in intensive efforts to secure his release,” Netanyahu told Congress in his only comments on the talks. “I am confident that these efforts can be successful. Some of them are happening now.”

Not only was there no major statement, but Netanyahu spent about five minutes of his nearly hour-long speech talking about the hostage situation.

“If he didn’t open with the words ‘we have a deal,’ I don’t care what he has to say,” said Sharon Kalderon, sister-in-law of hostage Ofer Kalderon. “That’s the only thing we want to hear.”

The hostage families and their struggle became a powerful force in Israel, where they enjoy broad support. Thousands of people have been protesting weekly to highlight their plight and to call for Netanyahu’s resignation.

The war started with a militant attack in southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took around 250 hostages. The Gaza Ministry of Health – which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants – says that more than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict.

Many Israelis support ending the war if it means freedom for the remaining 110 or so people who have not been released, a third of whom are said to be dead.

Netanyahu keeps an eye on his far-right coalition partners

The lack of emphasis on ceasefire negotiations could have been a message to Netanyahu’s government. far-right coalition partners that a deal is not their priority.

These partners oppose a deal and say they will overthrow the government if it moves forward, threatening Netanyahu’s government. They want the war to continue until Hamas is defeated – an objective that Netanyahu also repeatedly states.

One of the first public reactions to the speech came from his far-right government partner, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who posted on the social media platform X moments after the speech: “Israel (heart) Netanyahu.”

It succinctly captured how the ultranationalist flank of Netanyahu’s government viewed the speech.

Netanyahu’s critics, meanwhile, accuse him of prolonging the war for political reasons – to appease far-right partners and ensure that his coalition remains in power and that he remains in office.

An optimistic image of a wartime Israel

Netanyahu’s powerful defense of Israel on a very public stage has drawn praise even from some of his political rivals.

At a time when Israelis feel that the world has overcome the October 7 attack, lost interest in the fate of the hostages and labeled Israel as the bad actor, Netanyahu’s speech – with its invocations of the soldiers’ bravery and what he alleged was Israel’s justice in the war – injected a sense of patriotism and hope.

That could score badly needed political points for Netanyahu, said Aviv Bushinsky, a former aide to the Israeli leader.

“There is a consensus in Israel that there is no one who could have done better,” he said. But he added that the political boost may be temporary because the reality for Israelis is bleak.

Netanyahu’s speech painted a rosy picture of a wartime Israel that ignored the deep sense of betrayal that many have felt in their political and military leaders since October 7. the government does not offer them any solution. Nor did he face the anguish that Israelites feel every time another hostage is determined to have died in captivity. Hours after Netanyahu spoke, the military announced that the bodies of five dead hostages had been recovered from Gaza in a rescue mission.

Veteran Israeli broadcaster Ilana Dayan opened her radio program on Thursday by saying that through the speech, Congress was presented with a distorted reality.

“This is what Israel’s members of Congress saw: Israel, the righteous, the captivating, the enlightened. Israel of absolute good that is gaining total victory over absolute evil – an Israel so different from the one in which the people here live and breathe, who count their dead and wait for their hostages.”