Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY-3) @RepJohnYarmuth 403 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 202-225-5401 FAX 202-225-5776 on Feb. 12 Issued a statement stating why will not be attending the speech. It started with “As a Jewish member…” Yarmuth’s statement went on to explain that everyone already knows what Netnyahu is going to say because he’s already said it. Here are some choice clips:
Congress has a broader responsibility than the security interests of Israel. While it certainly is important that we understand the Israeli perspective, the American people will hear only Netanyahu’s perspective, creating a public perception that could undermine a broadly supported resolution to the Iranian nuclear situation.
The Prime Minister’s appearance will be construed by many to infer congressional support for his position as opposed to US policy.
I do not want my respectful attendance to in any way imply support for his position.
Finally, the speech comes at a delicate period in the negotiations with Iran, coming only three weeks before the deadline established for an agreement on a framework for a program to ensure that Iran does not have the capability to build a nuclear weapon.
Yarmuth also linked to this statement on his Facebook page. Rep. Yarmuth was a J Street-endorsed candidate in 2014.
Now tell these Bibicotters what you think.