PHILADELPHIA (AP) – House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi is still peeved over Republicans’ decision to ask the leader of Israel – an archenemy of Iran – to address Congress in March right in the middle of delicate negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program.
Asked Friday if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be well-advised to speak out in favor of heavier sanctions on Iran somewhere other than a joint meeting of Congress, Pelosi said “the opportunities are great,” and noted that the Israeli leader often appears on Sunday talk shows in the U.S.
She also was asked if most House Democrats would attend a Netanyahu speech to Congress. “I don’t know,” Pelosi replied.
“With all the respect in the world for the prime minister, and all the love in the world for the state of Israel, I don’t know that even everyone in Israel is supportive of the invitation,” she told journalists at a Democratic retreat in Philadelphia.
Netanyahu has been an outspoken critic of the international efforts to negotiate a deal with Iran, which does not recognize the Jewish state, and supports anti-Israeli militants like Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas.