Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a passionate defense of Israel during an address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, mocking pro-Hamas apologists and accusing Iran of fanning the flames of violence.
“I have a message for these protesters. When the tyrants of Tehran, who hang gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair, are praising, promoting and funding you, you have officially become Iran’s useful idiots,” said Netanyahu.
Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) decided to bring Scotch Plains native Dylan Redfield as a guest to the Israeli Prime Minister’s address; Redfield has served two years with the Israeli Defense Forces and is presently an IDF reservist.
“I am honored to have Dylan as my guest at the Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address in front of a Joint Session of Congress,” said Congressman Kean. “I first met Dylan in February when he was visiting Washington, DC. He told me of his experiences serving in the IDF, and his story of a call to duty is inspiring. When our meeting ended, he reached out his hand and gave me his IDF dog tags worn in service. He wanted me to keep them as a reminder of the fight that brave Israelis are taking on every day to defend their nation. I carried those dog tags with me into the chamber today with pride. I thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for addressing Congress. I will continue to support a strong US-Israel relationship for a safer and more prosperous future for both of our nations.”
“When the Congressman called me last week to invite me as his guest to attend the Prime Minister’s Joint Session of Congress, I was truly honored and humbled,” added Redfield. “There were times while I was serving in the IDF in Israel when I looked back at the news from New Jersey and saw my Congressman showing his unwavering support for Israel. It gave me hope to continue serving in the IDF. It is an absolute honor to be here in Washington, DC, where there is so much interconnected significance, and watching the Prime Minister address a Joint Session of Congress truly meant a lot to me.”
Kean is seeking reelection this fall in the Garden State’s only presently very competitive House race of the 2024 cycle.
