Netanyahu: I Will Definitely Go to Congress to Speak About Iran's Nuclear Program

Despite Barack Obama's refusal to meet with the Israeli Prime Minister during his upcoming visit to Washington, Benjamin Netanyahu says he is determined to travel to the U.S. to speak about Iran's nuclear program and efforts to increase pressure on the Islamic Republic. According to the Associated Press, the Israeli Prime Minister emphasized his decision on Monday, February 9, stating, "A bad deal with Iran is being made in Munich that will endanger Israel's existence, which is why I am determined to go to Washington to present Israel's position to Congress members and the American people." Netanyahu's remarks refer to the bilateral meetings between Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, and his deputies with John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, on the sidelines of the security conference in Munich, Germany. Since Friday, February 6, Zarif has met with the foreign ministers of the U.S., Germany, the UK, and Russia, members of the 1+5 group, as well as Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency. These negotiations were held behind closed doors, and Zarif has only stated that the discussions have entered "the details of technical discussions" and focused on how to lift sanctions and the number of centrifuges. Iran and the 5+1 group have agreed to reach a "political agreement" by late March and to sign the final comprehensive agreement by June 30. Israel accuses Iran of attempting to build a nuclear bomb, and Netanyahu has repeatedly opposed any reduction of sanctions on Tehran during the negotiations, calling for a tightening of these sanctions. The Israeli Prime Minister is scheduled to speak on March 3 at the invitation of John Boehner, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Boehner emphasized on Monday that the invitation to the Israeli Prime Minister remains in effect. The majority of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives is currently held by Republicans, and the invitation to the Israeli Prime Minister was made without coordination with the White House. Barack Obama, the U.S. President, and Joe Biden, the Vice President, have stated that they will not meet with Benjamin Netanyahu on that date, as this visit comes on the eve of Israeli parliamentary elections, and they do not want it to appear that they are favoring a particular faction in the country. Obama reiterated this point on Monday during a press conference with the German Chancellor in Washington. Several members of Congress have also announced that they will not attend the Israeli Prime Minister's speech in Congress, including independent Senator Bernie Sanders and Democratic Senators John Lewis and Jim Clyburn. Simultaneously, the Associated Press, citing a source close to Netanyahu's office, reports that his government officials are considering the possibility of changing his speech from a public session in Congress to a closed session with fewer representatives present.