Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that he is going to address the US Congress as an "emissary of all the citizens of Israel, even those who don't agree with me, and the entire Jewish people."
He made the statement as he boarded a plane to Washington for what his office says will be a historic address which has triggered a great deal of friction with the White House.
"I am greatly concerned about the security of the citizens of Israel and I will do what is necessary in order to ensure our future,’’ Netanyahu said.
The speech will be delivered Tuesday morning at 11 a.m.
Netanyahu will address a joint session of Congress in a bid to garner last-minute support for a halt to an emerging deal with Iran over its nuclear program. The United States and five other major powers (Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany) are seeking to negotiate an agreement with Iran to curb its nuclear program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions.
The invitation to Netanyahu was extended by House of Representatives Speaker, Republican John Boehner, who did not consult with the administration in advance.
Israel believes Iran and the P5+1 world powers are likely to reach a deal that eases international sanctions on Tehran without applying sufficiently stringent safeguards to stop it developing nuclear weapons.
Widespread media reports indicate that the two sides have reached broad agreement on a phased plan, which would see strict controls on Iran’s uranium enrichment for 10 years, although restrictions could be eased during the final 5 years if Iran complies.
According to Associated Press, for those 10 years, Iran would be permitted to operate 6,500 centrifuges but remain at least a year from nuclear ‘breakout.’ There appears to be little contingency for regulating Iran’s atomic development once the 10-year period expires. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would be responsible for monitoring Iranian compliance. A recent IAEA report said that Iran has not complied with its current commitment to transparency over its nuclear programme.
Israeli leaders hav responded to reports of the emerging deal with sharp criticism. Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said that such an agreement would pose “a great danger” to the Western world and “will allow Iran to become a nuclear threshold state.”
Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz called the deal “totally unsatisfactory,” commenting that “for a 10-year delay [in Iran’s nuclear program] you are sacrificing the future of Israel and the US, and the future of the world.”
Netanyahu will address Monday the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference before heading to Capitol Hill.
On Saturday, the White House said US President Barack Obama would veto a bill recently introduced in the U.S. Senate allowing Congress to weigh in on any deal the United States and other negotiating countries reach with Iran on its nuclear capabilities.
"The president has been clear that now is not the time for Congress to pass additional legislation on Iran. If this bill is sent to the president, he will veto it," said Bernadette Meehan, a spokeswoman for the White House's National Security Council.
The United States and five other major powers (Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany) are seeking to negotiate an agreement with Iran to curb its nuclear program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions.
The Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act would require to submit to Congress the text of any agreement within five days of concluding a final deal with Iran. The bill would also prohibit Obama from suspending or waiving sanctions on Iran passed by Congress for 60 days after a deal.
Netanyahu’s Congress address will come two weeks before the general elections in Israel on March 17 where the Israeli Prime Minister hopes to be re-elected for a third consecutive term in office.