Democrats give Israeli ambassador earful over Netanyahu speech

WASHINGTON — Israel’s ambassador to the United States got an earful on Wednesday from seven House Democrats angered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s acceptance of a Republican invitation to address Congress next month.

Ron Dermer met privately with Jewish Democrats to discuss Netanyahu’s plans for a March 3 speech on Iran right in the middle of delicate negotiations involving the United States, other Western powers and Tehran over its nuclear programme.

Republican House Speaker John Boehner’s invitation — and Netanyahu’s willingness to address a joint meeting — has infuriated the White House and angered congressional Democrats.

Dermer asked Rep. Steve Israel, a Democrat, to set up the meeting with the House Democrats, in which they complained about the escalating partisanship surrounding the upcoming speech and made clear to Dermer that Israel needs to find a way to lower the political temperature, according to a senior congressional aide.

“I organised the meeting with Ambassador Dermer, and I invited key congressional Democratic supporters of Israel to attend,” Israel said in a statement. “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.”

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

Last Friday, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi was asked if Netanyahu would be well-advised to speak out in favour of heavier sanctions on Iran somewhere other than a joint meeting of Congress. She said “the opportunities are great” and noted that the Israeli leader often appears on Sunday talk shows in the US.

Netanyahu has been an outspoken critic of the international efforts to negotiate a deal with Iran, which does not recognise the Jewish state, and supports anti-Israeli militants like Lebanon’s Hizbollah and Palestinian Hamas.