Rabbi Marc Schneier Reflects on Netanyahu Speech 

The recent visit of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the U.S. Congress was a historic moment; but for Rabbi Marc Schneier, it was so much more.

Schneier, the son a Holocaust survivor and who lost 43 family members in Auschwitz, was moved to tears at the thought of the Jewish state declaring to the most powerful country in the world that it was there to stand between the world and evil; between the world and those who would undermine democracy; between the world and those who would destroy it.

“Who would imagine that the leader of the Jewish nation would be addressing the leadership of the most powerful nation in the world and say, ‘We’re here to protect you, here to defend you,’” says Schneier, who was the guest of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

“The July 24 speech before a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress was Netanyahu’s fourth speech before Congress, eclipsing British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who spoke three times. It was a transformative moment,” Schneier says. “He was reminding the free world that Israel will be the defender of the free world.”

For Schneier, highlights of the speech included the emphasis on the urgency of eradicating Hamas, the need to respond to aggression by Iran and the need to defend the state of Israel regarding its response to Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. He added that the prime minister also condemned the anti-Israel protestors on college campuses as “useful idiots for Iran” and spoke of his visions of a post-war Gaza.

And, while there was plenty of politics and controversy surrounding the visit (including who was, and wasn’t, there,) the protestors outside and the cheers within, Schneier couldn’t help but be a little gobsmacked by the history of it all.

Schneier is the senior rabbi and founder of the Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach. For the past 35 years Schneier has been a leader in helping to improve the relationships of key ethnic groups and faith communities. In 1989 he launched the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding to rebuild the historic Black-Jewish alliance in the United States. For the past 20 years, its mission has been to build Muslim-Jewish relations globally. He also founded The Hampton Synagogue in 1990, which boasts one of the country’s largest philanthropic memberships.

“I got a call afterward from a friend asking me if I’d gotten my workout in,” Schneier, an exercise enthusiast, joked of the many times those listening stood to applaud something the prime minister said. “It was at least 40 or 50 times.”

Schneier says just walking into the chamber filled him with emotion. “Even though America is a young country [compared to others] it has a lot of history. This was the room that from George Washington on, so much history has been made here. When you walk in there, you’re in awe. You have a reverence for the people who have been here before you and the place itself.”

A frequent visitor to the nation’s Capitol, Schneier says there was a different dynamic on this visit.

“I have never seen security in Washington the way it was this week,” says Schneier. “You could see that security was paramount. It is a tradeoff to the time we live in.”

Despite what was going on outside and in the politics of the day, Schneier says it didn’t seem to affect the prime minister’s speech.

“I think he was very pleased with the speech,” says Schneier, who has met with the prime minister on multiple occasions. “He loves an audience. Of course he was cognizant of the controversy, but he had a lot of verve and charisma. He is a great orator and was on his game. It definitely was Netanyahu at his best.”

Schneier says it was an experience that he will always remember.

“If you know the history of the Jewish people, the past 2,000 years of persecution, oppression and subjugation, look how far we’ve come,” says Schneier. “That Israel’s prime minister addressed the leadership of the most powerful nation in the world. It is a remarkable achievement and a testament to the state of Israel. It also is praiseworthy of the closeness of the partnership between Israel and the United States.”

Todd Shapiro is an award-winning publicist and associate publisher of Dan’s Papers.