Chicago Sun Times - No Apology Necessary for Netanyahu's Congress Invitation

Op-Ed

By Robert Dold

There has been a lot of misguided commentary in the media and on Capitol Hill surrounding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech in March before Congress.

Some critics have focused on the claim that Netanyahu's failure to inform the White House of his visit constituted an egregious breach of diplomatic protocol. One anonymous American official apparently even called it "barbaric" to Israeli media. Others have piled on, saying the visit is inappropriate given the proximity of an upcoming national election in Israel. Much attention has been paid to baseless accusations that the invitation from House Speaker John Boehner is a partisan ploy to challenge President Barack Obama on foreign policy.

The back-and-forth over diplomatic protocol and Netanyahu's visit may make for good Sunday morning talk show fodder, but it completely misses the point. It takes the discussion away from where it needs to be -- preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon.

Invitation for Netanyahu to address Congress was absolutely the correct thing to do at such a pivotal time. Many in Congress, including myself, look to move forward on legislation crafted by Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., that increases sanctions on Iran if an acceptable deal is not reached by the end of June. Had a Democratic speaker issued the invitation, my support would be no less full-throated.

The debate over preventing Iran's nuclear program is bigger than political gamesmanship. Netanyahu understands the consequences of Iran developing a nuclear weapon as clear-eyed as anyone.

Iran's nuclear program is the greatest national security threat facing the United States, and it poses an existential threat to Israel. I hope that Netanyahu's speech serves as a wake-up call about the urgency of this situation.

We would all like to have a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear program. However, after a year of negotiations with the Iranians -- two extensions, billions of dollars in sanctions relief, continued enrichment and research within Iran, and a hardening of demands from the opposing side -- it is not clear that we are anywhere close to a successful diplomatic outcome.

Sanctions brought the regime to the negotiating table in the first place. Rewarding Tehran's delay tactics with indefinite sanctions relief while centrifuges continue to spin weakens our hand and strengthens Iran's -- not the other way around. The swift passage of the Kirk-Menendez sanctions legislation is our best chance to help these negotiations succeed.

I look forward to Prime Minister Netanyahu's address to Congress. Stopping Iran's nuclear program transcends politics. This is not about left vs. right, it is about right vs. wrong.

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