US allowing Israeli premier’s propaganda at Congress 'shameful', says Turkish official

By Gozde Bayar

ANKARA (AA) – Turkish communications director said Thursday that it is “shameful” that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is allowed to make propaganda from the US Congress.

“Allowing Netanyahu to spread his propaganda on the floor of the U.S. Congress and letting him call peaceful American protestors all sorts of names is simply shameful,” Fahrettin Altun said on X.

“By hosting a politician responsible for committing war crimes, Washington sends the world a message that it cares little to nothing about the lives of innocent civilians,” he added.

Noting that a minority of US politicians protested or confronted Netanyahu’s “despicable speech,” he said his address “was not only full of blatant lies but also hatred for Palestinians.”

Altun added that some American politicians’ complicity in the crimes of the Israeli government for political expediency will have consequences for the US credibility around the world.

Netanyahu’s address to the US Congress is a “major stain” on this body that claims to defend human rights and uphold democratic values, he said.

“The dehumanizing language he constantly uses about a people under occupation was in full display. We salute those Americans who refuse to participate in this charade,” he added.

- Israel committing 'unspeakable crimes'

Underlining that Israel has been committing “unspeakable crimes” in Palestine, he said the US Congress has enabled and encouraged this war by providing financial support, arms and ammunition.

He noted that efforts to condition the aid to Israel on human rights have “utterly failed.”

This must stop if the US aims to claim any kind of moral leadership or legitimacy in the international arena, he added.

“Despite the deep and long influence of the pro-Israel groups, the younger generations are waking to the realities of occupation, ethnic cleansing and genocide in Palestine. The status quo cannot be sustained, and Palestinians will achieve full sovereignty sooner or later,” he added.

He urged those politicians who truly care about the US national security to “wake up to the reality” that supporting a government like that of Netanyahu is against US interests and values.

He reiterated solidarity with those who support a “just resolution” of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Türkiye will work hard to make it a reality even if the Netanyahu government is “dead set” against it along with their allies in the US Congress.

The conscience of the world is on the side of a free Palestine as the world sees the reality of Israeli attacks and their consequences on the innocent civilians, he said.

Stressing that there is no justification for ethnic cleansing and genocide, he said labeling anyone critical of Israeli policies as antisemitism will not work.

- Netanyahu government’s 'genocidal policies'

Under the leadership of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish government is doing everything it can to bring about the reality of a two-state solution with a truly sovereign Palestine living side by side with its neighbors, he added.

He advised those who wish to be on the “right side of history” to oppose the Netanyahu government’s “genocidal policies.”

“It is time for a reckoning in US politics and we hope that today’s shameful speech serves as a wakeup call for Americans who want peace,” he added.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

More than 39,100 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 90,200 injured, according to local health authorities.

Over nine months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.​​​​​​​