US Democrats Unpleased with Netanyahu’s Upcoming Speech

Local Editor

Several US House Democrats expressed anger over "Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's acceptance of a Republican invitation to address Congress next month.

Ron Dermer met privately with seven Jewish Democrats to discuss Netanyahu's plans for a March 3 speech on Iran.

The Jewish lawmakers urged the Netanyahu to postpone the speech or hold it somewhere other than Congress.

According to the report, they told Ambassador Ron Dermer that Netanyahu was unwise to accept a Republican invitation that bypassed President Barack Obama, and to schedule the speech only two weeks before Netanyahu sought another term in the Zionist entity's elections.

Rep. Steve "Israel", a Democrat who hosted the gathering in his House office stated that the meeting's purpose was "to try to defuse the optics" of the planned speech to Congress, and to return to substantive issues involving the two nations.
However, some attendees suggested a different time or venue for a Netanyahu speech. "Israel" commented that "we have a while to go before we have to address whether or not he's coming."

Netanyahu's March 3 speech would focus largely on Iran - and its nuclear program - amid delicate negotiations involving the United States, other Western powers and Tehran.

Henceforth, Netanyahu's acceptance of Republican House Speaker John Boehner's invitation had infuriated the White House and many congressional Democrats.

Several House Democrats had met last week during the party's retreat in Philadelphia to discuss what to do about the speech.
"I organized the meeting with Ambassador Dermer, and I invited key congressional Democratic supporters of "Israel" to attend," "Israel" said in a statement.

He added, "There were a wide range of views that were discussed, but one thing we all agreed on emphatically is that "Israel" should never be used as a political football."

Furthermore, when House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi was asked whether Netanyahu would be well-advised to speak out in favor of heavier sanctions on Iran somewhere other than a joint meeting of Congress, she noted that the "Israeli" PM often appeared on Sunday talk showed in the US and that Netanyahu had been an outspoken critic of the international efforts to negotiate a deal with Iran.

At this level, Netanyahu called Pelosi, Sen. Harry Reid, the Senate Democratic leader, and Sen. Chuck Schumer, the third-ranking Democrat in the Senate, in hopes of blunting their opposition to the invitation.

House Speaker John Boehner's invitation came with the Obama administration in negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. Boehner's move has angered the White House and Democrats.

The aide spoke was not authorized to publicly discuss private sessions and spoke condition of anonymity.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team