Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday directly addressed criticism of his upcoming speech to the U.S. Congress, stating that he didn’t intend to “inject Israel” into partisan debate in the United States.
Speaking at an American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington, Netanyahu talked about the elephant in the room: his acceptance of an invitation from House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to address Congress just days before the Israeli elections and amid a heated debate over Iran sanctions. Boehner had made the invitation without consulting the White House or State Department.
“My speech is not intended to show any disrespect to President Obama or the esteemed office that he holds. I have great respect for both,” Netanyahu said.
“My speech is also not intended to inject Israel into the American partisan debate,” he added. “An important reason why our alliance has grown stronger, decade after decade, is that it has been championed by both parties and so it must remain.”
Netanyahu said he regretted that some people “misperceived” his visit to Washington as partisan. The prime minister has come under fire from House and Senate Democrats — including Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who said Sunday that Netanyahu doesn’t “speak for all Jews” — for accepting Boehner’s invitation.
But when Feinstein and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) invited Netanyahu to address a private meeting of the Senate Democratic caucus, the prime minister declined. He argued that a powwow with Democrats “could compound the misperception of partisanship regarding my upcoming visit.”
