WASHINGTON (AP) — Jewish House Democrats personally offered Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a chance to lower the political temperature after he accepted a Republican invitation to speak to Congress next week on Iran — a less provocative, closed-door session.
Netanyahu turned them down, frustrating members of President Barack Obama’s party who are caught between the White House and the Israeli leader.
Democrats face an unenviable choice on Tuesday: Attend the speech and listen to the Israeli leader criticize the president over his effort to negotiate a deal with Iran on its nuclear capability. Or skip it and face complaints that they failed to show solidarity with Netanyahu.
Democrats are largely resigned to the situation although still bitter about being caught in between. They’re directing their wrath at House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, who invited Netanyahu without consulting with the White House and State Department. And they’re publicly disagreeing with the Israeli leader, too.
Rep. Sander Levin, R-Mich., called Boehner’s invitation to Netanyahu “a strictly political ploy by the speaker to try to reinforce the Republicans’ position on Israel and divide Democrats.”
Netanyahu was “mistaken to agree to it,” he said. “Speaker Boehner is playing politics with the critical issue of Israel’s security. That’s beyond pardon as far as I’m concerned.”
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who urged Israeli officials to move or postpone the speech, said the temperature “has remained at a simmer for some time. I think the important thing is we not let the critical significance of the Iranian nuclear issue be overshadowed.”
Some Democrats will skip the speech, but Schiff will attend.
“My advice is, listen respectfully,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., who separately met with Ron Dermer, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. “Eventually it’s going to go away, and the issue that’s going to remain is what do we do about Iran.”
Late last year, Boehner, in coordination with Senate Republican leaders and Dermer, arranged for the invitation to Netanyahu. Dermer is an American-born official who worked with GOP political operatives before appointment to his Israeli position.
Democrats have howled that the invitation was a breach of protocol, that the timing was inappropriate ahead of March 17 Israeli elections and that it injected partisanship into the relationship between Israel and the U.S.
The Obama administration was furious, and National Security Adviser Susan Rice said this week that the planned speech was “destructive” to relations between the two countries. Vice President Joe Biden will be traveling and won’t attend. Obama has no plans to meet with Netanyahu during his U.S. visit.
The White House did decide to send Rice and U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power to speak to AIPAC, America’s leading pro-Israel lobby’s meeting, next week.
Boehner has defended the speech decision, saying Americans need to hear from Netanyahu, who insists that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is paramount to ensure the survival of Israel, and that Iran can’t be trusted in any talks.
Majority Republicans are making sure the event stings Obama and his fellow Democrats — for the world to see.
“It’s our House,” said Rep. John Carter, R-Texas. “Did anyone tell them not to come? If they choose to sit it out, that’s their problem.”
Nearly a dozen lawmakers have chosen to skip the speech, and across Congress, Democrats have labored to keep their fury focused on Boehner.
“You don’t put your thumb on the scale of the Israeli election,” said Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, who wrote Boehner last month to request a postponement. “They were not interested in my request, so I’m not coming.”
But Democrats clearly are vexed, too, with the prime minister over what many see as his effort to sabotage a possible nuclear deal.
None are more anguished than Congress’ Jewish Democrats. Even as they restated their staunch support for Israel, they splintered into an array of angry responses and strategies, none of which succeeded in changing Netanyahu’s plans.
The political controversy threatens to “completely eclipse the substance of a deal with Iran,” said Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., who with Nadler is one of seven Jewish Democrats who met with Dermer earlier this month.
The Israelis are angry and so are the Democrats, said Israel, who will attend the speech. The only one who’s not, he said, “is John Boehner, who’s getting the headlines that he engineered.”
In meetings with Dermer and a call to Netanyahu, Democrats suggested he deliver his speech in the congressional auditorium behind closed doors, a venue that would allow for any classified information that Israel might have on Iran’s capabilities.
Netanyahu will deliver his speech in the storied House chamber, from the podium where presidents speak.
This week, the angst deepened among Jewish Democrats. In the Senate, Dianne Feinstein of California co-authored an invitation to Netanyahu to meet privately with Democrats. Within hours, Netanyahu rejected it, saying such a session could “compound the misperception of partisanship.”
“There’s nothing to be gained by Democrats criticizing Bibi Netanyahu,” Israel said.
And yet, some let it fly from Congress’ highest ranks.
“His refusal to meet is disappointing to those of us who have stood by Israel for decades,” fumed Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, who co-authored the separate invitation with Feinstein.
Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., who in a Feb. 13 phone call personally urged Netanyahu to move the speech, said she’ll attend anyway.
“I’m going to focus on all the work that has to be done between the prime minister and President Obama to repair the relationship,” she said. “We’ll get through it and we’ll move forward.”
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Associated Press writer Matthew Daly contributed to this article.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
No they don’t!
Do NOT attend this political stunt! Period!
I got an email from my Jewish congressman last night and he linked to his statement as to why he would NOT be attending. THANK YOU, REP. YARMUTH! Now, if a Jewish congressperson from freakin’ Kentucky has the stones to stay away from this shitshow, why is it so hard for Diane Feinstein and others in far more liberal states and districts? Grow some!
This is his full statement and explanation:
STATEMENT: Why I will not be attending Israeli PM Netanyahu’s speech to Congress
Thursday February 12, 2015
As a Jewish member of Congress, and as someone who proudly supports the State of Israel, I am saddened by the breakdown of the traditionally bipartisan cooperation on issues affecting that nation, precipitated by the impending speech of Prime Minister Netanyahu to Congress on March 3.
The controversy surrounding the invitation to the Prime Minister and his acceptance has unfortunately made the question of attendance at the speech a matter of public interest. It is both sad and ridiculous that attending this speech will be used as a litmus test for support of Israel. In short, roll will be taken, and some outside organizations have even threatened potential absentees with electoral repercussions. Since I do not plan to attend the Prime Minister’s appearance, I now find it necessary to publicly explain my intended absence.
Among the many reasons I will not attend are the following:
We know what he is going to say. Netanyahu’s position on the ongoing negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program is not a secret. Like many other members, I have been visited by the Israeli ambassador and understand what they want and how that differs from what U.S. negotiators are attempting to accomplish.
The Prime Minister has plenty of other places to express his opinions. In fact he has done so many times.
Netanyahu will specifically be arguing against the foreign policy of the administration. Speaker Boehner invited the Prime Minister to address Congress specifically to refute President Obama’s position. I will not contribute to the impression that this body does not support the President of the United States in foreign affairs.
The speech is scheduled less than two weeks before Israeli elections and there is a demonstrable risk that Netanyahu will use the perception of congressional support in his campaign. He did it before. A television ad for his 2013 campaign begins with a shot of the U.S. Capitol, and has footage of rousing applause from members. (House ethics rules prohibit members of Congress from using such footage in political ads.)
It will become a matter of score-keeping as to who stands up and applauds and who doesn’t. Having visited Israel only months after Netanyahu addressed Congress in 2011, I know how much political impact these scenes have in that country. There is pressure to join the applause even if a member does not agree with statements made.
Congress has a broader responsibility than the security interests of Israel. While it certainly is important that we understand the Israeli perspective, the American people will hear only Netanyahu’s perspective, creating a public perception that could undermine a broadly supported resolution to the Iranian nuclear situation.
The Prime Minister’s appearance will be construed by many to infer congressional support for his position as opposed to US policy.
I do not want my respectful attendance to in any way imply support for his position.
Finally, the speech comes at a delicate period in the negotiations with Iran, coming only three weeks before the deadline established for an agreement on a framework for a program to ensure that Iran does not have the capability to build a nuclear weapon.
I sympathize with the Israeli predicament in this situation. They are forced to sit by while six other nations negotiate an agreement that directly affects their national security. They do not have a seat at the table. On the other hand, the only way a potential Iranian nuclear threat can be averted peacefully is if the world powers use the crippling economic sanctions to force a diplomatic solution. All of those countries have an interest in preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s position, if adopted by the United States and the other negotiating parties, would make a diplomatic resolution much more difficult, if not impossible.
There’s nothing “tough” about the choice. WIth the smallest number of Dems since the 1920’s, no Democrat should fear the wrath of the Israel Lobby and attend that speech. Those who do, shouldn’t seek re-election
It is not a hard choice…You are either for AMERICA FIRST or for the liar terrorist zionist bibi!..
Actually it’s the People’s House, but he’s from Texas so his stupidity is to be expected.