Israel's opposition leader urges Netanyahu to cancel planned speech to U.S. Congress

Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog Thursday called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel his planned speech to the U.S. Congress on March 3, saying it will cause "strategic damage" to Israel's ties with the United States.

Herzog, who is chairman of the Labor Party, started his attack against Netanyahu at a press conference held in Tel Aviv along with Hatnua (The Movement) leader Tzipi Livni. The two merged their parties into a united list, the Zionist Union, which is the top rival for Netanyahu's ruling Likud party in the March 17 elections.

Herzog blamed Netanyahu for irreparably damaging Israel's close ties with the U.S., with his decision to speak in front of the Congress with a hardline stance on nuclear Iran, contrary to the official stand of the U.S. government.

"I call on Netanyahu again: Stop. Don't Go. You will cause strategic damage to Israel's standing and to the relationship with the United States," Herzog said.

Netanyahu's speech in front of the congress is set for March 3, two weeks ahead of the Israeli elections, and was coordinated by Republican House Speaker John Boehner.

Herzog attacked Netanyahu for not agreeing to meet with U.S. Senate Democrats in his trip to Washington, saying the prime minister is "playing politics inside American politics."

U.S. President Barack Obama's National Security Adviser Susan Rice has been quoted as saying that the upcoming speech, which was coordinated behind the U.S. government's back, will play a "destructive" role in the close ties between the U.S. and Israel.

Herzog also slammed Netanyahu's priorities of spending money on isolated West Bank settlements, outside the main settlement blocs, which would probably be handed to the Palestinian Authority in case of a future agreement, than on solving the housing crisis in Israel, revealed in the comptroller's report issued on Wednesday.

"The state comptroller's report revealed what we know: 10 billion shekels (2.54 billion U.S. dollars) have been invested in the settlements outside the blocs under Netanyahu's failed regime," Herzog said.

Israel occupied the West Bank lands in the 1967 Mideast War and its settlements are deemed illegal by the international law and are an obstacle to a territorial continuity for a future Palestinian state. Most Israelis see the major settlement blocs as part of Israel.

The comptroller's report blamed Netanyahu's government for the country's housing crisis, saying the government failed to identify the looming crisis and did little to curb the skyrocketing housing prices, which has been one of the main concerns of Israeli voters.

In 2011, hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets in protest over the soaring housing prices and high costs of living. Netanyahu appointed a committee amid the protest but the government failed to implement its recommendations.

Herzog on Tuesday promised that he will revive the peace talks with the Palestinians and curtail the Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank, should he win the upcoming March 17 elections. Endit