Gone are the muted responses to Netanyahu’s scheduled March 3 speech to a joint session of Congress. Top Obama administration officials are shifting to a much more confrontational tone.
While senior administration officials deny they are offering a pre-buttal to what they expect to be a blistering attack from the prime minister on U.S. efforts to constrain Iran’s nuclear program, the White House is sending clear signals that U.S.-Israeli relations are being damaged by Netanyahu’s visit.
The barbs started Tuesday when National Security Adviser Susan Rice warned in an interview with Charlie Rose that Netanyahu’s planned speech reflected a partisanship that would be “destructive to the fabric of the relationship” between the two countries.
Prior to Rice’s comments, White House officials had only said Netanyahu and House Speaker John Boehner had broken protocol by not notifying the administration about the planned speech to a joint session of Congress. Obama, his aides said, would not schedule a meeting with the prime minister during his visit to Washington because of upcoming Israeli elections.
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“Now they are completely snubbing AIPAC,” Senor said. “Why, exactly, is the White House punishing the American Jewish community?” Senor asked.
But a growing number of Democrats are rallying behind the official White House in its opposition to Netanyahu’s speech.
“As a long-time supporter of the U.S.-Israel relationship, I believe the timing of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address to Congress — just days before Israeli elections — is highly inappropriate,” said Senator Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, in a recent letter to Boehner.
