Israeli officials are
considering amending the format of Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu's planned address to the U.S. Congress next month to
try to calm some of the partisan furor the Iran-focused speech
has already provoked.
Netanyahu is scheduled to address a joint session of
Congress about Iran's nuclear program on March 3, just two
weeks before an Israeli parliamentary election, following an
invitation from John Boehner, Republican speaker of the house.
The invitation has caused consternation in Israel and the
United States, largely because it is viewed as Netanyahu, a hawk
on Iran, working with the Republicans to thumb their noses at
President Barack Obama's policy towards Tehran.
It is also seen as putting Netanyahu's political links to
the Republicans ahead of Israel's bilateral relationship with
the United States, while giving the Israeli prime minister a
publicity boost ahead of the March 17 election.
As a result, Israeli officials are considering whether
Netanyahu should speak in a closed session of Congress or in
smaller meetings with Congressmen rather than in a prime-time TV
address, so as to defuse the tensions around the event.
Another option is for the prime minister to make his speech
at the annual meeting of the American Israel Public Affairs
Committee in Washington the same week rather than in Congress.
"The issue has been under discussion for a week," said a
source close to Netanyahu's office. "(Netanyahu) is discussing
it with Likud people. Some say he should give up on the speech,
others that he should go through with it."
Likud is the right-wing party that Netanyahu leads.
Officials in Netanyahu's office said that for now his
schedule had not changed.
"In the past days the prime minister has been approached
several times about his trip to the United States," one official
said. "At the moment there is no change in the plans."
An opinion poll by Israel's Army Radio on Monday said 47
percent of people think Netanyahu should cancel the address,
while 34 percent say he should go ahead with it.
There are signs the issue is impacting his poll ratings.
A poll by the Times of Israel on Monday showed Likud would
win 23 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, four fewer than the
center-left opposition. Earlier polls had shown Likud and the
opposition alliance neck-and-neck on 24 seats each.
Speaking on radio last week, Israel's deputy foreign
minister suggested Netanyahu had been "misled" about the speech,
believing it to be bipartisan when Obama's Democrats were not
entirely on board.
While that may have created some room for Netanyahu to pull
out if the pressure at home and from Washington becomes too
great, it may be too late.
If he withdraws now it may make him look weak with core
voters. He also needs an opportunity to play up his
tough-on-Iran credentials before the election, with national
security an overriding issue for voters.
Addressing French-speaking members of his party on Sunday,
Netanyahu appeared to commit fully to the March 3 appointment
saying: "I will go any place I'm invited to convey the Israeli
position against those who want to kill us".
REUTERS