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U.S. House Speaker John Boehner
Photo Credit: U.S. gov't
Speaker of the House John Boehner hit back on Thursday at U.S.
National Security Adviser Susan Rice, who characterized next week’s
address to Congress by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu as
“destructive.”
Boehner challenged her remarks, saying that in fact, the situation was quite the opposite.
“The president’s national security adviser says it’s destructive for the prime minister of Israel to address the United States Congress,” Boehner told reporters on Thursday.
“I couldn’t disagree more. The American people and both parties in Congress have always stood with Israel and nothing, and no one, could get in the way,” Boehner said.
The invitation by the Speaker came directly, without a first pass by the White House or the State Department, which presidential staff members have censured as a breach of protocol.
The prime minister maintains that Iran’s skyrocketing nuclear development and the pending agreement being arranged by the United States and world leaders with Tehran presents Israel with a clear existential threat. As such, Netanyahu said he cannot afford to pass up an opportunity to directly discuss the danger to Israel with America’s lawmakers.
Rice said Tuesday the prime minister’s acceptance of the Speaker’s invitation to address the joint session of Congress on March 3 is “destructive of the fabric of the relationship” between Israel and the United States.
“What has happened over the last several weeks, by virtue of the invitation that was issued by the Speaker and the acceptance of it by Prime Minister Netanyahu on two weeks in advance of his election, is that on both sides, there has now been injected a degree of partisanship,” Rice said.
Boehner disagreed, saying, “What is destructive in my view is making a bad deal that paves the way for a nuclear Iran. That’s destructive.”
The Speaker insisted that it is important for the American people to hear what Israel’s prime minister has to say about the grave threats Israel faces.
“I’m glad that most of my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, will be there” to hear it, Boehner said.
Both Rice and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samatha Power, are expected to address the AIPAC annual convention which begins on Sunday, and where Netanyahu is also scheduled to appear.
House Speaker Boehner Says Netanyahu Speech Won’t Harm US-Israel Relations
House Speaker John Boehner asserts next week's speech to Congress by Israeli PM Netanyahu won't hurt US-Israel relations.
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U.S. House Speaker John Boehner
Photo Credit: U.S. gov't
Boehner challenged her remarks, saying that in fact, the situation was quite the opposite.
“The president’s national security adviser says it’s destructive for the prime minister of Israel to address the United States Congress,” Boehner told reporters on Thursday.
“I couldn’t disagree more. The American people and both parties in Congress have always stood with Israel and nothing, and no one, could get in the way,” Boehner said.
The invitation by the Speaker came directly, without a first pass by the White House or the State Department, which presidential staff members have censured as a breach of protocol.
The prime minister maintains that Iran’s skyrocketing nuclear development and the pending agreement being arranged by the United States and world leaders with Tehran presents Israel with a clear existential threat. As such, Netanyahu said he cannot afford to pass up an opportunity to directly discuss the danger to Israel with America’s lawmakers.
Rice said Tuesday the prime minister’s acceptance of the Speaker’s invitation to address the joint session of Congress on March 3 is “destructive of the fabric of the relationship” between Israel and the United States.
“What has happened over the last several weeks, by virtue of the invitation that was issued by the Speaker and the acceptance of it by Prime Minister Netanyahu on two weeks in advance of his election, is that on both sides, there has now been injected a degree of partisanship,” Rice said.
Boehner disagreed, saying, “What is destructive in my view is making a bad deal that paves the way for a nuclear Iran. That’s destructive.”
The Speaker insisted that it is important for the American people to hear what Israel’s prime minister has to say about the grave threats Israel faces.
“I’m glad that most of my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, will be there” to hear it, Boehner said.
Both Rice and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samatha Power, are expected to address the AIPAC annual convention which begins on Sunday, and where Netanyahu is also scheduled to appear.
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