TWO VIEWS
“If the deal now being negotiated is accepted by Iran, that deal will not prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. It would all but guarantee that Iran gets those weapons — lots of them.”
— Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing a joint session of Congress
“Sanctions alone are not sufficient. If Iran does not have some sense that sanctions will be removed, it will not have an interest in avoiding the path that it’s currently on.”
— President Barack Obama
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implored Congress on Tuesday to reject a nuclear deal currently being negotiated with Iran, calling it a threat to the survival of Israel and its people.
Addressing a joint session of Congress with the politically charged atmosphere of a State of the Union address, Netanyahu told members of the House and Senate that he had nothing but respect for President Barack Obama — but then he proceeded to blast the yet-to-be-done nuclear deal that the administration and five other nations are negotiating with Iran.
“This deal won’t be a farewell to arms,” Netanyahu said. “It would be a farewell to arms control. And the Middle East would soon be crisscrossed by nuclear tripwires. A region where small skirmishes can trigger big wars would turn into a nuclear tinderbox.”
Obama, who didn’t watch the speech, dismissed Netanyahu’s remarks as “nothing new.”
“When we shaped that interim deal, Prime Minister Netanyahu made almost the precise same speech about how dangerous that deal was going to be,” Obama said. “And yet, over a year later, even Israeli intelligence officers and, in some cases, members of the Israeli government, have to acknowledge that, in fact, it has kept Iran from further pursuing its nuclear program.”
Obama added that the “alternative that the prime minister offers is no deal, in which case Iran would immediately begin once again pursuing its nuclear program without us having any insight into what they’re doing, and without constraint.”
Netanyahu argued for increased sanctions on Iran, something the administration doesn’t want in the throes of negotiations. He urged lawmakers to walk away from the proposal being crafted by the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France and Germany and hold out for a better one.
“Iran’s nuclear program can be rolled back well beyond the current proposal by insisting on a better deal and keeping pressure on a very vulnerable regime, especially given the recent collapse in the price of oil,” he said. “If Iran threatens to walk away from the table — and this often happens in a Persian bazaar — call their bluff. They’ll be back because they need the deal a lot more than you do.”
Obama rejected Netanyahu’s plea, saying, “We have evidence from the past decade that sanctions alone are not sufficient to prevent Iran from pursuing its nuclear ambitions, and if in fact it does not have some sense that sanctions will be removed, it will not have an interest in avoiding the path it is currently on.”
Netanyahu was greeted like a rock star as he entered the House chamber, with Republicans and Democrats standing in sustained applause and reaching across the aisle to shake hands with him. His nearly 50-minute speech was interrupted 34 times by applause, giving the appearance that the partisan acrimony had subsided over House Speaker John Boehner’s decision, without consulting Obama, to invite the prime minister during the sensitive nuclear talks and just ahead of Israel’s March 17 elections.
But hard feelings over the prime minister’s presence were still evident. While Republicans stood and roared with approval at some of Netanyahu’s lines, many Democrats remained in their seats, applauding tepidly, or stood stone-faced.
Top Obama administration officials steered clear of Capitol Hill. As Netanyahu spoke, Obama was in the White House’s Situation Room participating in a video conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and European Council President Donald Tusk discussing the situation in Ukraine and other global security issues.
Netanyahu acknowledged his speech had generated “much controversy,” but he insisted his address was not politically motivated.
“We appreciate all that President Obama has done for Israel,” Netanyahu said, noting that Obama had provided military aid and opposed anti-Israel stances at the United Nations. “I deeply regret that some perceive my being here as political. That was never my intention.”
But congressional Democrats weren’t convinced. Nearly 60 Democrats skipped the speech, many of them calling it a partisan charade.
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Among the Democrats staying away: Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts; Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee; and Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, the assistant House Democratic leader.
“As one who values the U.S.-Israel relationship, and loves Israel, I was near tears throughout the prime minister’s speech … saddened by the condescension toward our knowledge of the threat posed by Iran,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who attended the speech.
Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., who boycotted the speech, said, “I thought it would be political theater and indeed it was political theater — worthy on an Oscar.
“Now as far as how it affects the world, in reality I think it’s harmful, because the game is in Geneva — not in Washington or on television,” Cohen added.
Obama was not scheduled to meet with Netanyahu during his visit to Washington. The president said the “only reason” was because Netanyahu is up for re-election in two weeks and his policy is not to meet with leaders so close to an election.
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Several Republicans hailed the speech and used it to bash Obama’s handling of the Middle East.
“President Obama’s misguided negotiations have dramatically increased the likelihood of military conflict with Iran,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. “The appeasement of the Obama-Clinton-Kerry foreign policy is what has led directly to the bellicose aggression of bad actors across the globe.”
Netanyahu urged lawmakers to Google what’s been written about the deal, saying that it “leaves Iran with a vast nuclear infrastructure” and that restrictions on Iran would last just a decade.
“That’s why this deal is so bad,” he said. “It doesn’t block Iran’s path to the bomb, it paves its way to the bomb.”
Still, few expected Netanyahu would sway many minds in Congress, where many have already staked out positions or insist they’ll wait to see the details of any deal that is reached.
“I respectfully suggest that Congress ought to take a deep breath, exhale and allow the administration to see if they can bring this agreement across the finish line,” said Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., who boycotted Netanyahu’s address.
Boehner said Netanyahu’s argument was “a speech the American people needed to hear, plain and simple.”
“It demonstrated why there is such deep-seated — and bipartisan — concern about the deal that is being made,” Boehner said.
After the speech, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., placed a bill on the Senate calendar that would require Congress to approve or reject any agreement with Iran.
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