BICOM

The White House yesterday sought to play down the controversy surrounding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s scheduled speech to Congress two weeks before Israel’s general election in March.

US House of Representatives Speaker, Republican John Boehner extended the invitation last week for Netanyahu “to address Congress on the grave threats radical Islam and Iran pose to our security.” However, Boehner had not informed the White House in advance, considered a breach of protocol. Media reports suggest that Netanyahu’s address is viewed by the White House as collaboration with President Obama’s political opponents, who oppose his policy on Iran.

Such suggestions were fuelled by the announcement that Obama won’t meet Netanyahu during his visit. However, the White House explained that by convention, the US President does not to meet with candidates in close proximity to their elections. Furthermore, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough yesterday appeared on all the major US television networks emphasising the importance and strength of the US-Israel relationship. He told CBS that the relationship is “above bipartisan politics” and further told NBC that bilateral ties are focused not only “on a shared series of threats, but also, on a shared series of values.”

Meanwhile, Netanyahu defended his decision to accept Boehner’s invitation, telling his cabinet yesterday that, “As prime minister of Israel, I am obligated to make every effort to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weaponry that will be aimed at the state of Israel,” predicting that a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme will soon be concluded. He added, “I will go anywhere I am invited in order to enunciate the State of Israel’s position and in order to defend its future and its existence.”

However, Netanyahu’s political opponents scolded his decision. Opposition leader and Labour head Isaac Herzog said that Netanyahu’s behaviour “is harming Israel’s security interests” while Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid accused Netanyahu of “destroying Israel’s relations with the United States over an election speech.”