TEL AVIV — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech on Wednesday to a joint session of Congress was reminiscent of a presidential State of the Union address in tone and appearance, but on topics of importance to the people who elected him, it lacked in new announcements on a deal for the release of hostages held in Gaza or on the Palestinian territory the day after the war with Hamas.
Netanyahu’s polished oration sounded like the product of the best presidential speechwriters, and his delivery and appearance were as assured as those of a world leader. His wife Sara once said that had he been born in the United States, he would certainly have been elected president. She may have been right, but the state of the nation that Netanyahu leads is grim.
His 45-minute address was a strong speech by a weak leader (say the polls), one who has led his people and country into the greatest disaster in their modern history — the Oct. 7 assault by Hamas on southern Israel.
The master of rhetoric
