By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assailed a prospective nuclear deal with Iran in defiance of the Obama administration’s ongoing negotiating efforts, telling Congress Tuesday, "We're better off" without a deal.
“This is a bad deal. It's a very bad deal. We're better off without it,” Netanyahu said to thunderous applause – one of more than 40 outbursts. “It doesn’t block Iran’s path to a bomb, it paves Iran’s path to a bomb.”
Netanyahu’s address came just hours after Secretary of State John Kerry met with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Zarif, in Switzerland to continue talks ahead of a critical deadline.
Despite the Israeli prime minister’s opposition, the administration has maintained that “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed,” and negotiators from the P5+1 group of world powers – the U.S., China, France, UK, Russia, plus Germany, have until the end of the month to hammer out a political framework agreement with Iran.
A final deadline for a comprehensive accord is set for the end of June.
“Iran has proven time and again that it cannot be trusted,” Netanyahu warned, voicing concerns about two alleged provisions to a deal: leaving Iran’s nuclear infrastructure intact and allowing restrictions on its program to expire in about a decade.
Neither of those details have been confirmed by either the P5+1, its member states, or Iran.
Still, he insisted that a deal with Iran would lead to a “countdown to a potential nuclear nightmare.”
“This deal won't be a farewell to arms. It would be a farewell to arms control. And the Middle East would soon be crisscrossed by nuclear tripwires,” Netanyahu said.
The prime minister’s speech followed a controversial invite from House Speaker John Boehner for Netanyahu to address Congress. The White House was not notified about the invitation, irking the Obama administration, which labeled it a breach of protocol.
President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry all did not meet Netanyahu during his trip to Washington. Biden and Kerry are on foreign travel, and Obama has said he would not meet with Netanyahu due to his visit’s proximity to Israel’s March 17 elections.
Despite the choruses of applause, not everyone in attendance Tuesday was won over by Netanayhu’s alarmist messaging.
“As one who values the U.S.–Israel relationship, and loves Israel, I was near tears throughout the prime minister’s speech – saddened by the insult to the intelligence of the United States as part of the P5+1 nations, and saddened by the condescension toward our knowledge of the threat posed by Iran and our broader commitment to preventing nuclear proliferation,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi in a statement following the speech.
The Democratic leader was visibly opposed to several parts of Netanyahu’s speech – at times refusing to join others when they erupted in applause, shaking her head when he asked for a better deal, and quickly exiting the chamber after the speech.
"I deeply regret that some perceive my being here as political," Netanyahu said during his speech before thanking Obama for assistance that he has provided since becoming president.
More than 50 Democratic lawmakers boycotted Netanyahu’s speech, and if he were in Washington Biden would have been seated behind Netanyahu. The seats of lawmakers who skipped the address were taken by seat fillers, and in the case of Biden, Sen. Orrin Hatch.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, who was among those who did not attend the speech, told CNN that he did not want to see the House of Representatives become a political prop.
“I see not only the prime minister of Israel. I see a candidate that's in a tough re-election effort,” he said.
While Netanyahu delivered his speech inside, outside of the Capitol, dozens of protesters called on lawmakers to resist Netanyahu’s calls. “How many nuclear weapons does Israel have?," they chanted.
