At a joint session of Congress this afternoon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel issued a full-throated defense of his country’s nine-month military campaign in Gaza. He angrily pushed back on the criticism of Israel’s tactics that has rippled through the American political left, and praised the U.S.-Israel alliance.

“Our enemies are your enemies,” Netanyahu said. “Our fight is your fight. And our victory will be your victory.” He lavished praise on both President Biden and Donald Trump, although he did make one oblique criticism of the current administration, saying: “Give us the tools faster, and we’ll finish the job faster.”

But in the House chamber as he spoke, there was clear evidence of how the longstanding bipartisan consensus backing Israel has eroded in Congress. Netanyahu received repeated applause mostly from Republicans. Dozens of Democrats, including top senators and Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker of the House, boycotted the speech.

Vice President Kamala Harris also declined to preside, as is traditional for the vice president. Her approach to the war in Gaza will be closely watched over the coming weeks, particularly for signs of a shift from Biden’s support of Israel. Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Harris tomorrow, after a separate meeting with the president.

Outside the Capitol, more than 5,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators protested Netanyahu’s speech, some wearing Palestinian scarves, chanting for the U.S. to stop arming Israel. Some carried signs calling Netanyahu a war criminal. During his address, Netanyahu ridiculed the protesters as “Iran’s useful idiots.”