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Monday, March 18, 2024
March 18, 2024

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Democrats caught between Netanyahu, White House on speech

The Columbian
Published:

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.

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