Israeli PM urged to cancel planned speech on Iran in U.S. congress

Israeli center-left politicians urged the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday to cancel his planned speech to the U.S. congress on Iran, saying it would jeopardize Israel's interests.

Yitzhak Herzog, leader of the opposition Labor Party, was quoted by local media as saying that Netanyahu's planned speech would damage Israel's relations with the U.S. and harm Israel's security interests.

"The time has come when Bibi (Netanyahu's nickname) must announce the cancellation of his speech in the Congress," Yitzhak Herzog was quoted as addressing an international security conference in Germany.

He said that the planned speech, which would present a hardline approach toward a nuclear Iran amid the ongoing attempts by the world powers and Iran to reach a final agreement on its nuclear program, will raise antagonism among U.S. and European officials.

"In conversations I've held with many European and U.S. leaders, it's clear there's great anger over Netanyahu diverting the discussion on Iran's nuclear program for political gain, and turning it into a confrontation with the president of the United States," Herzog said.

Herzog was not the only political figures from the Israeli center-left camp who have voiced criticism of Netanyahu's intention to speak at a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress on March 3, just two weeks ahead of Israel's parliamentary elections.

Former Justice Minister Tzipi Livni said at an event in Tel Aviv on Saturday morning that Netanyahu's plan to address the U.S. Congress shows that he is "thinking of his personal interests instead of those of the state of Israel."

Chairman of the center Yesh Atid party Yair Lapid said that Netanyahu is "leading to a major damage in Israel's strategic affairs with the U.S., as part of a political act aiming to get more votes in the upcoming elections."

Netanyahu was invited to speak in front of the U.S. Congress on Iran by the U.S. Republican House Majority Leader John Boehner. The invitation and its acceptance by Netanyahu caused uproar among White House officials.

Netanyahu is expected to talk in favor of bill proposals calling for imposing further sanctions on Iran, despite the ongoing negotiations.

President Barack Obama has expressed objections to those bills and declared he would veto them if passed.

Netanyahu, a hardliner on Iran, has warned repeatedly that a nuclear Iran will be a danger to Israel, and demanded that Iran forego its entire nuclear enrichment capabilities. Iran, on its part, has insisted that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Endit