TEHRAN- As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the U.S. Congress, tens of thousands rallied outside the building, protesting against his visit and calling for an end to the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza.

Americans, who promised “a day of rage” marched toward the Capitol, chanting “Free, free Palestine”, before some clashed with police. 

Protesters also chanted slogans like “Not in our name” and “Arms embargo now” expressing opposition to the arming of the Israeli occupation regime and protesting what they rightly described as “genocide” in the enclave. 

Others held banners that read “Israel uses U.S. tax dollars to kill Palestinian children” and “Arrest this criminal,” referring to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against the Israeli leader. 

Among those seen in the crowd was a large number of Jews. Netanyahu described all of the protesters, during his speech to Congress, as “Iran’s useful idiots”. 

The protests were organized by more than 20 institutions in the United States with demonstrators traveling from different states and cities. 

Among the protest organizers were ANSWER (an acronym for “Act Now to Stop War and End Racism”), women-led peace and human rights group CodePink, Palestinian groups such as Palestinian American Community Center and Jewish groups including Jewish Voice for Peace.

“We need to be out here. We need to say, ‘Not in our name’,” Irene Ippolito, a protester, was cited as saying by Al Jazeera. “As American citizens, we have to realize that this could not be taking place without our taxpayer dollars sending tons of weapons to Israel as it slaughters men, women and children in Gaza.”

Another protester said, “For Congress to receive someone like Netanyahu, a war criminal, is shameful and unlawful, considering that they are hiding someone who is an outlaw.”

“He is supposed to be arrested and not allowed to give a speech,” the protester added.

One of the main demands of the activists was a call for U.S. politicians to stop military aid to the Israeli occupation forces, which they argue will deplete the Israeli military’s arms caches that are being used to bombard the Gaza Strip. 

Other demonstrators hoisted Palestinian flags outside Washington’s Union Station, while images circulated of pro-Palestine demonstrators burning a U.S. flag alongside an effigy of Netanyahu. 

U.S. Capitol police made a number of arrests and used chemical irritants, including pepper spray, against the protesters. 

“They (U.S. officials) are attempting to demonize the protests, and focus on one individual sign or some individual’s burning of the American flag,” the ANSWER group said.

Some 230 staff workers at Capitol Hill who remained anonymous for fear of losing their jobs, from 122 offices had signed a letter, which was made public last week that urged their bosses to either protest or boycott the address to Congress by Netanyahu against whom the International Criminal Court prosecutor’s office has issued an arrest warrant for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid condemned Netanyahu’s presence in Washington as “disgraceful”. 

In a post on social media, Lapid slammed Netanyahu, particularly for not taking any responsibility for his failure regarding the October 7 attack and for failing to accept a deal with the Palestinian Hamas group that would retrieve the Israeli captives.

In a separate post, the opposition figure said, “We heard Netanyahu speak about October 7 as if he has no idea who was the Prime Minister and who was responsible for the disaster.”

Pro-Palestine groups and university students across the U.S. have for months protested against the Israeli genocide in Gaza. 

Netanyahu’s trip to Washington tapped into the mounting anger among the American public. 

As the war on the besieged enclave started after October 7, Americans began a protest movement that included marches, vigils and blocking bridges and roads near train stations and airports in multiple cities along with encampments on college campuses.

Feeling unwelcome in American streets, Netanyahu also felt popularity plummeting back home. 

Netanyahu’s presence in the American capital clashed with a new survey conducted by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) that revealed a great majority of Israelis do not trust the Prime Minister, his government, and the military leadership.

The survey found that 73% of Israelis don’t trust their government, while 71% of Israelis expressed “somewhat low or very low” trust in Netanyahu. 

Moreover, 55% of the respondents expressed having low confidence in the occupation regime’s military leadership, with 86% of Israelis being very concerned about the security situation in “Israel”. 

Yedidia Stern, the head of the JPPI, pointed out that these results indicate a “deep crisis of confidence between the public and the security and political leadership,” calling for a renewal of trust with early general elections.