Watch Netanyahu’s Speech to Congress Here
The much-talked about address begins at 11 a.m. EST
March 03, 2015
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the AIPAC 2015 Policy Conference, March 2, 2015 in Washington, D.C. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Six weeks ago, Republican House Speaker John Boehner invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress on Iran’s nuclear threat, setting off a political firestorm. President Obama, who will pointedly not be meeting with Netanyahu while he’s in Washington, D.C., has criticized the address for threatening a potential nuclear agreement with Iran, the details of which were revealed by Reuters yesterday.
Obama maintains a diplomatic agreement is the best way to halt Iran’s nuclear threat. He’s also suggested that the timing of Netanyahu’s speech—weeks ahead of a Knesset election in Israel, in which Netanyahu is bidding for another term as prime minister—is inappropriate. Netanyahu, the leader of a country existentially threatened by a nuclear Iran, prefers a stronger approach, and by taking his case to Congress hopes to forestall a nuclear deal he believes would be too lenient on Iran.
Today, The Speech is finally here.
Which Democrats will boycott the address? Will Netanyahu reveal confidential details about the negotiations? How many Purim references will be made?
These questions and more will be answered at 11 a.m. You can view the address on the livestream below:
Previous: Bibi’s Day in Congress
Related: The Obama-Bibi Split Is About Policy, Not Protocol—And It May Be Permanent
Stephanie Butnick is the founder of GOLDA, a Jewish lifestyle newsletter. She hosted the Tablet podcast Unorthodox, co-authored The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia: From Abraham to Zabar’s and Everything in Between, and worked as a writer and editor at Tablet.
