(RABBI ELCHANAN POUPKO / VINnews) — “Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, President Pro Tem Senator Patty Murray, Senator Minority — Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Hakeem Jefferies, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise…
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My friends, nine years ago, I stood right here and warned that a nuclear Iran would pose an existential danger to Israel. I promised right here that even if Israel must stand alone, it will still stand.
Nine years later, I am here to report that Iran has indeed acquired nuclear weapons and that, short of hollow speeches and symbolic actions, I have failed to prevent that; some would even argue I accelerated that process. While my complicity in enabling the growth of Iran’s nuclear program can be debated, there is no question that no Israeli leader has played a greater role than me in the funding, expansion, and success of the Hamas terrorist organization.
In this hallow chamber, I faced Holocaust survivor and Nobel Prize winner Elie Wiesel. I promised him that “the days when the Jewish people remained passive in the face of genocidal enemies, those days are over.”
Since then, I have overseen the greatest massacre committed against Jews since the Holocaust. It was under my leadership that for the first time in its history, a sovereign territory of Israel was conquered and overtaken by terrorists; children have seen their parents massacred, parents have seen their children massacred, and those who survived the horrors of the Holocaust, have relived those horrors and the day of October 7th.
Ellie, I know that as the ultimate man of conscience, you are looking down at me from heaven, certain that I have tended to the wounded, comforted many families, attended the many funerals, and been supportive of the families of the hostages. Perhaps you think that at least I have taken responsibility for the horror that has befallen Israel under my leadership or at least resigned from leading a people who now loath me; clearly, you did not know me well enough.
Standing here in Congress, I assured the world that “We are no longer scattered among the nations, powerless to defend ourselves.” For the first time in history, Israelis have found themselves utterly powerless and unable to defend themselves. The Jewish people’s generational trauma of pogroms, expulsions, and the Holocaust has been reignited under my very own leadership.
While speaking in front of a joint session of Congress is a great honor, I have come here to do so with great personal sacrifice. Behind me in Israel, I have left more than 100,000 internally displaced Israelis who have no idea when they will return to their homes. Israel’s north and south are under attack, entire cities on our northern and southern border have become abandoned ghost towns, tens of thousands of children do not know where they will be going to school in September, and countless parents are left without answers. I have left those children and their parents behind with no answer because I would never miss an opportunity to speak here in Congress.
As you look around today, you see here many empty seats in this chamber as so many Democrats have boycotted my speech. Even strong pro-Israel centrists like my dear friend Jim Clyburn have announced their boycott of my speech. This is because I have personally worked very successfully to make Israel a partisan issue in the United States. No one knows better than me how vital Israel’s alliance with the United States is for our very existence and security; this is why I went out of my way to pick fights with Democrats and was even smart enough to bring into my government Itamar Ben Gvir, my minister who tweeted “Biden loves Hamas.” Why? Because it is our base above all. After all, what is Israel’s security and future if we can be seen as more hard-core by our base, which is made up of the fringes of Israeli society? In fact, this very speech, I was told, would worsen support for Israel in the United States, and still, here I am giving it. It’s my base, above all.
Facing me right up there in the gallery, overlooking all of us in this chamber, is the image of Moses. Moses led our people from slavery to the gates of the Promised Land. And before the people of Israel entered the land of Israel, Moses gave us a message that has steeled our resolve for thousands of years. I leave you with his message today: “ “O Lord God, do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance, which You have redeemed in Your greatness, and which You have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.” (Deuteronomy 9)
Yet I, unlike Moses, know which people of Israel vote for me–and which do not. During my term, I have shown the world that even a Jewish leader can look his own people in the eye and disregard the very lives of those who did not vote for me. In fact, many residents of northern cities abandoned by me and my government did indeed vote for me, and are being equally ignored by me and my government.
Under Israel’s left-wing governments, we restored our sovereignty in our ancient home. And the soldiers who defend our home have boundless courage. For the first time in 100 generations, we, the Jewish people, were able defend ourselves. Yet it was under my government that things have been restored to the bad old times. I let the monsters of Hamas and Hezbollah grow on our borders while playing politics, and now Jews are once again helpless in the face of rockets and missiles against I have failed to defend my own people.
May G-d bless whatever is left of the state of Israel and may G-d bless the United States of America.
Thank you. Thank you very much to the few members of Congress who made the time to be here today. Thank you all.
You’re wonderful.
Thank you, America. Thank you.
This article was previously published in Times of Israel
Rabbi Elchanan Poupko is a New England based eleventh-generation rabbi, teacher, and author. He has written Sacred Days on the Jewish Holidays, Poupko on the Parsha, and hundreds of articles published in five languages. He is the president of EITAN–The American Israeli Jewish Network.
Mr. Poupko I remembered when anti semites went to protest outside your house in new haven. Do you think the party which allowed for that in your state conneticut and did nothing about them, the democrats are in the right?! First of all you fail to mention the military conceptzia not just under netanyahu but lapid, as well their strategy of mowing the grass. This is not netanyahu’s exclusive fault but the whole oprandi of the IDF. Are you this clueless? I then got an answer “Under Israel’s left-wing governments, we restored our sovereignty in our ancient home.” It seems that the nail was hit on the head. You mean when the left wing parties had ceded territory in judea and samaria or vowed to give it to the palis. Really restoring sovereignty?! How about when lapid ceded natural gas fields to lebanon and hezbollah. By the way what about the aid conditioning which rabbonim who are real gedolim detest which this president decided to do. What about his idea that hamas should remain as a governing authority with israel not entering rafah or a ceasefire without hostages. Or the idea hamas can’t be defeated. What about his sanction of charedi units. By the way netanyahu did not displace those israelis, hamas who massacred many of our people and hezbollah jihadist radicals did. But in order to promote what could be described as stockholm syndrom you need to sling mud. By the way 64 seats in the knesset is not a fringe coalition. “Even strong pro-Israel centrists like my dear friend Jim Clyburn have announced their boycott of my speech.” If that is your definition of a strong friend to you, I wonder what your definition of an enemy is. John fetterman and Richie Torres are real strong friends(However to you they probably did nothing special and may even be fringe, they should have went with Chuck right), the fact Clyburn is boycotting the duly elected prime minister of another nation fighting a just war against a side that consists of rapist baby killers is unbelievable. I would also mention your lack of mentioning how biden is paying iran and how his policies have caused iran a pathway to the bomb. But it should be obvious that mr. Poupko is incapable of telling democrats you have done wrong. How about say that abandoning an ally that is a democracy in its time of need, that fights according to international law, for antisemitic voters in michigan is a disgusting thing to do. Rather he blames a jew, in this case the prime minister. I do not mean to be mean or offend and I apologize if it comes off this way, but I could not believe this was written after what happenend to you Rabbi.
Who cares what you have to say ignorant so called rabbi.
Poupko of course supported obama allowing Iran to go nuclear he fully supports biden support for hamas and the overall democratic party abandonment of Israel and he like the democratic party scum he worships blames Netanyahu for what was caused by democratic party coddling and funding of the terrorists and stabbing Israel in the back on the world stage.
Sta-sta-stoopit.
Rabbi Poupko should be embarrassed for publicly posting this horrible diatribe against the Israeli government. What is he trying to accomplish? I hope he does teshuva. And I hope it will be accepted.
There’s no cure for stupid! Why do you publish Poupko? He’s a nothing.
I am actually shocked that an orthodox jew at this juncture where am yisroel needs unity would write this vile piece. I am wondering if the website published this pure hatred only for clicks. Mr Poupko being a descendant of Rabbis is like being a descendant of doctors you still need to qualify.
Wow! Talk about twisted! If anything, Bibi is too appeasing to the so called Democrats, and was way too nice to our Haters such as Obama. It’s time that Israel acts in its own interests & stops worrying what the Goyim think. The world would have more respect for us when we articulate Jewish & Halacha concepts like; הבא להרגו…, and if a terrorist is hiding behind children, there’s a chiyuv to kill the terrorist. Protecting the families of our enemies at our expense is a Christian concept.
What an idiotic column. As if Poupko would have managed the war more successfully than Netanyahu
“My Fellow Republicans…”
The speech he should give begins with the first Rashi in Bereishis. Rashi’s father, Rav Yitzchok, said one thousand years ago that there will come a time when all the nations of the world will accuse Israel of having stolen the land.
One thousand years ago – no state of Israel, no UN, no mass media, a motley assortment of savages running rump states using Crusades to murder and pillage.
Today, with the UN fulfilling that prophecy, Netenyahu could deliver the answer before both houses of Congress – H- shem created the world and GAVE it to Israel. That answer would strike fear in the hearts of the Arab world – look up the story of Salah Tamari.
We must embrace our history with pride and purpose- and our fellow Jews with love and Torah and the certain knowledge of H- shem. That is the speech he must deliver, because that is the ONLY answer that will give this madness meaning.
Is this Rabbi part of the Netuei Karta cult who marches with Hamas?
Get out of here man. The “leftist governments” secured victory (albeit never as much as they could have) because they lacked postmodern values that are now prevalent everywhere in the secular political establishment and security establishment, and it is precisely that proliferation of ideals which brought us to this place. You are so ignorant it is unbelievable. Look beyond the elected government. If you hadn’t noticed, they’re not the ones running the show.