{Originally posted to author’s website, FirstOneThrough}
US President Obama made a deliberate attempt to marginalize Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his address to Congress in March 2015. Obama aired a number of complaints about the nature of the invitation and later said that Netanyahu didn’t offer any new ideas in dealing with Iran. His efforts to turn public attention away from the incredibly important topic to a sideshow of partisanship was sad on many levels.
There were many people who were not at Congress on March 3rd: Democrats that didn’t listen, and Arab States that echoed Netanyahu’s message.
Those not Listening: Democrats Partying with their Party The Obama administration managed to convince 58 members of Congress to skip Netanyahu’s speech. All were his fellow Democrats. They were:
SENATE – 8 members
- Sen. Al Franken (Minn.)
- Sen. Martin Heinrich (N.M.)
- Sen. Tim Kaine (Va.)
- Sen. Patrick Leahy (Vt.)
- Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
- Sen. Brian Schatz (Hawaii)
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.)
- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.)
HOUSE – 50 members
- Rep. Karen Bass (Calif.)
- Rep. Earl Blumenauer (Ore.)
- Rep. Corrine Brown (Fla.)
- Rep. G.K. Butterfield (N.C.)
- Rep. Lois Capps (Calif.)
- Rep. Andre Carson (Ind.)
- Rep. Joaquin Castro (Texas)
- Rep. Katherine Clark (Mass.)
- Rep. William Lacy Clay (Mo.)
- Rep. James Clyburn (S.C.)
- Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (Mo.)
- Rep. Steve Cohen (Tenn.)
- Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.)
- Rep. John Conyers (Mich.)
- Rep. Elijah Cummings (Md.)
- Rep. Danny Davis (Ill.)
- Rep. Peter DeFazio (Ore.)
- Rep. Diana DeGette (Colo.)
- Rep. Lloyd Doggett (Texas)
- Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.)
- Rep. Donna Edwards (Md.)
- Rep. Chaka Fattah (Pa.)
- Rep. Keith Ellison (Minn.)
- Rep. Marcia Fudge (Ohio)
- Rep. Raúl Grijalva (Ariz.)
- Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (Ill.)
- Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.)
- Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (Texas)
- Rep. Marcy Kaptur (Ohio)
- Rep. Rick Larsen (Wash.)
- Rep. Barbara Lee (Calif.)
- Rep. John Lewis (Ga.)
- Rep. Dave Loebsack (Iowa)
- Rep. Zoe Lofgren (Calif.)
- Rep. Betty McCollum (Minn.)
- Rep. Jim McDermott (Wash.)
- Rep. Jim McGovern (Mass.)
- Rep. Jerry McNerney (Calif.)
- Rep. Gregory Meeks (N.Y.)
- Rep. Gwen Moore (Wis.)
- Rep. Beto O’Rourke (Texas)
- Rep. Donald Payne (N.J.)
- Rep. Chellie Pingree (Maine)
- Rep. David Price (N.C.)
- Rep. Cedric Richmond (La.)
- Rep. Jan Schakowsky (Ill.)
- Rep. Adam Smith (Wash.)
- Rep. Bennie Thompson (Miss.)
- Rep. Mike Thompson (Calif.)
- Rep. John Yarmuth (Ky.)
It is wrong to say that these Democratic Congressmen are anti-Semites for skipping Netanyahu’s speech. They are just small-minded, petty, partisan politicians.
Those who were seen not Speaking: Arab States agree with Netanyahu While Israel is in the crosshairs of the Iranian regime which has singled out the country for annihilation, several Arab countries are also very against Iran obtaining nuclear weapons. They supported Netanyahu’s position and address.
- Saudi Arabia. KSA has made its objections to the P5+1 negotiations very clear: it feels that the US lied and deceived Saudi Arabia about the negotiations; and it is extremely concerned about Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon. The Saudis stated that they would both attack Iran and obtain their own nuclear weapon as soon as Iran would get one. Saudi journalists openly praised Netanyahu’s speech.
- Egypt. Egyptian leader El-Sisi has been openly critical of Obama’s policies throughout the Middle East, including the US’s soft approach on ISIS and its desire to pursue a political process on militant Islam in Libya, rather than fight the extremists with force.
- United Arab Emirates. UAE has stated “We cannot live with a nuclear Iran” and has voiced its support of an attack on Iranian facilities.
The difference between the absent deaf audience (Democrats) and the silent approving chorus (Arab states) is a contrast between politics and policy. The difference between Obama and Netanyahu regarding Iran is between hope and action.
Those Talking and Hoping: Obama and Kerry
Obama has essentially articulated that US intelligence is flawed, so the best solution for managing the Iranian nuclear program would be to rely on the Iranians’ openness. His negotiation tack will conclude with faith that the Iranians: