Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned US President Barack Obama yesterday against accepting a nuclear deal with Iran that would be a “countdown to a potential nuclear nightmare” by a country that “will always be an enemy of America”.
“If the deal now being negotiated is accepted by Iran, that deal will not prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons – it will all but guarantee that Iran will get those nuclear weapons – lots of them,” the Israeli leader said in a 39-minute speech to the US Congress that offered a point-by-point critique of Obama’s Iran diplomacy.
In an appearance that strained US-Israeli relations and was boycotted by dozens of Obama’s fellow Democrats, Netanyahu said Iran’s regime was “as radical as ever,” could not be trusted and the deal being worked out with world powers would not block Iran’s way to a bomb “but paves its way to a bomb”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressing a joint meeting of Congress in the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington yesterday. US Speaker of the House John Boehner (left) and President pro tempore of the US Senate Orrin Hatch look on from behind Netanyahu. Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters“This deal won’t be a farewell to arms, it will be a farewell to arms control ... a countdown to a potential nuclear nightmare,” Netanyahu told lawmakers and visitors in the House of Representatives. His speech drew 26 standing ovations.
Earlier, he entered the chamber to a cacophony of cheers and applause, shaking hands with dozens of lawmakers, including House Speaker John Boehner, before taking a podium and telling lawmakers he was deeply humbled.
At the start of the speech, he sought to defuse the intense politicisation of his appearance, which has hardened divisions between Republicans and Democrats over the White House’s approach to stopping Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
He said he was grateful to Obama for his public and private support of Israel, including US military assistance and contributions to Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system.
“I regret that some see my appearance here as political,” he said. “I know that no matter which side of the aisle you sit on, you stand with Israel.” The speech escalated Netanyahu’s campaign against Obama’s Iran diplomacy, putting unprecedented stress on the two leaders’ ties.
Although given the cold shoulder by the US administration, Netanyahu on Monday offered an olive branch, saying he meant no disrespect to Obama by accepting an invitation to speak to US lawmakers that was orchestrated by the President’s rival Republicans.
He said the United States should not ease its restrictions until Iran “changes its behaviour”, a comment that could stiffen support among Republicans to maintain US sanctions on Iran or seek to escalate them. But the Israeli leader did not specifically call for new penalties, something Obama has said would undermine ongoing talks and would prompt a veto if passed by Congress.
“If the world powers are not prepared to insist that Iran change its behaviour before a deal is signed, they should at the very least be prepared to insist that Iran changes its behaviour before the deal expires,” he said.
He added that the drop in oil prices put the United States and other countries in a stronger position to negotiate with Iran.
“Iran’s nuclear programme can be rolled back well beyond the current proposal by insisting on a better deal and keeping up the pressure on a very vulnerable regime, especially given the recent collapse of the price of oil.”
As many as 59 of the 232 members of Congress from Obama’s Democratic Party sat out the address to protest what they see as a politicisation of Israeli security, an issue on which Congress is usually united.
The absence of so many lawmakers could raise political heat on Netanyahu at home two weeks before an Israeli general election. Many Israelis are wary of estrangement from a US ally that provides their country with wide-ranging military and diplomatic support.