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Notes -
Netanyahu speech to Congress
Wonder what his goals were here - are 2000 pound bombs really that necessary still? Getting republicans to clap like seals while his own generals are telling him to make a peace deal isn't going to do much to advance real war goals. Biden also gave his own speech hours later, perhaps intentionally to overshadow it - full respect to joe if that's what he was going for.
Seriously though why do Rs love this guy so much? He has like a 20% approval rating in Israel. Is it just because of his historical track record of disrespecting dems?
Video and transcript links:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=2v_YL_GPdsg https://www.timesofisrael.com/were-protecting-you-full-text-of-netanyahus-address-to-congress/
I don't find Bibi to be a particularly charismatic orator. He has a weird tic that almost looks like he's constantly chewing gum, and his delivery is generally too staid, as if he's narrating legalese as opposed to speaking from the heart. That said, I thought the content was solid. Doubt it'd change minds for any partisans, but it should be persuasive to those in the middle.
I do hate the custom of Congress standing and clapping every paragraph, however. If they could be 10x more selective about it, or reserve applause till the end, the speech, and perhaps any speech delivered in such a setting, would be significantly more interesting to watch. As it stands, the entire thing feels like involuntary virtue signaling for everyone in attendance who must decide when to stand and how hard to clap, which must be exhausting to decide in real time.
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