Netanyahu warns US Congress of Iran’s ‘march of terror’

            Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned US lawmakers that any nuclear deal with Iran would threaten US and international security in a controversial speech Tuesday to a joint session of the US Congress.
In a pugnacious speech, interrupted by rounds of applause and occasional cheers from his audience, Netanyahu called on the US Congress to “stand together to stop Iran’s march on conquest, subjugation and terror”.


Expressing his staunch opposition to ongoing nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran, Netanyahu maintained that “Iran has proven time and again that it cannot be trusted” and warned that any deal would “all but guarantee” that Tehran will get nuclear weapons.

The leader of what is widely believed to be the only nuclear armed nation in the Middle East, despite Israel’s refusal to acknowledge its nuclear arsenal, also warned that “the greatest danger facing our world is the marriage of militant Islam with nuclear weapons''.

Netanyahu’s speech came as US Secretary of State John Kerry was meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, in the Swiss lakeside town of Montreux, in a bid to reach a framework nuclear deal ahead of a late March deadline.

The Israeli leader's appeal to the US Congress also came two weeks before elections in which he is seeking a new term, sparking criticism within Israel over Netanyahu politically exploiting his Washington visit.

The speech also sparked a bipartisan war of words within the US political establishment, with the White House criticising Republican House Speaker John Boehner for bypassing protocols and extending an invitation to Netanyahu. It has also exposed rifts within the US Jewish community and led a number of US politicians to question a “special relationship” that requires Washington to put Israel’s interests above those of the USA.

Addressing a powerful pro-Israel lobby on the eve of his US Congress speech, Netanyahu attempted to soften his criticism of US President Barack Obama, declaring, “My speech [to US Congress] is not intended to show any disrespect to President Obama or the esteemed office he holds. I have great respect for both.”

However, addressing the annual policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on Monday, Netanyahu continued to assail Obama’s bid for a nuclear deal with Iran. “I have a moral obligation to speak up in the face of these dangers while there is still time to avert them,'' he said.

(BALOOGGSBLOG FRANCE 24 with AP)