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Sunday, November 15, 2026Nov 15

Pelosi, Democrats furious over Netanyahu ‘condescension’

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif. turns to talk to her colleagues in the House chamber of Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 3, 2015, during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's  address before a joint meeting of Congress. In a speech that stirred political intrigue in two countries, Netanyahu told Congress that negotiations underway between Iran and the U.S. would "all but guarantee" that Tehran will get nuclear weapons, a step that the world must avoid at all costs. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer of Md. is at left.  (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif. turns to talk to her colleagues in the House chamber of Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 3, 2015, during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address before a joint meeting of Congress. In a speech that stirred political intrigue in two countries, Netanyahu told Congress that negotiations underway between Iran and the U.S. would "all but guarantee" that Tehran will get nuclear weapons, a step that the world must avoid at all costs. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer of Md. is at left. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON (AP) – House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi says she was so upset she was near tears during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress about the threat posed by Iran.

The California congresswoman and other Democrats said the prime minister’s speech was condescending to the Congress in the way he described the threat posed to the Jewish state. Several Democrats said he seemed to be lecturing Americans.

The relationship between the two nations traditionally has been bipartisan. Several times during the address, Pelosi threw up her hands and appeared to vent to her Democratic colleagues.

Democrats had accused House Speaker John Boehner of showing disrespect by inviting the prime minister without first notifying President Barack Obama. They said the address was inappropriate coming only a few weeks before the Israeli elections.