Hatch Op-Ed: Standing with Israel in a dangerous world:
Partisanship mustn’t color America’s support for a strong ally
Today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address a Joint Session of Congress. Such an invitation is one of the highest honors we can bestow on a foreign leader. And such a speech is normally an occasion of unity in Washington, when elected officials put partisan politics aside and come together to focus on weighty issues of national security.
Sadly, today’s speech has not been met with the customary unity or sense of common national purpose. Instead, some Democrats, including Vice President Joe Biden, have said they will not attend. Their partisan loyalty to President Obama—who by all accounts has tense relations with the Israeli Prime Minister—has come to taint even a nonpartisan address of international significance.
In the Vice President’s absence, I will preside over the Joint Session alongside House Speaker John Boehner in my role as President Pro Tempore of the Senate. I consider this responsibility a special honor given my longstanding support for Israel. But I believe we must not allow this important occasion to be overshadowed by partisan gamesmanship. Politics must stop at the water’s edge, as both Democrats and Republicans recognize. And in this case our clear national interest demands prioritizing the strength of our alliance with Israel and our efforts to prevent a nuclear Iran.
Israel has long enjoyed strong American support across party lines. This unified backing reflects the unique bond between our two nations, driven by a diverse array of sympathies and mutual interests: our kinship with Israel as a free society and fellow democracy; our close economic, cultural, and spiritual ties; our respect for Israeli industriousness and tolerance; our appreciation for Israel’s unique stability in an unstable region full of failed and distressed states; and our recognition that Israel wants simply to live in peace with its neighbors.
Maintaining this vital strategic partnership—which requires close cooperation between the leaders of both nations—is essential to American security. Unfortunately, our current President has failed to maintain a productive working relationship with his Israeli counterpart and has instead strained relations with our close ally on many levels. At this critical time of regional insecurity, Prime Minister Netanyahu deserves an open and thoughtful hearing by Congress rather than further disrespect motivated by reflexive and misplaced partisanship.
Close ties between the United States and Israel are especially significant today given the grave threat posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The Iranian regime—controlled by anti-American and anti-Semitic zealots—threatens to destabilize the region and is determined to “wipe Israel off the map.” Preventing such a regime from developing and deploying a nuclear weapon is critically important for both the United States and Israel.
Given this shared imperative, the Obama administration’s negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program have generated much concern both here at home and in Israel. News reports suggest that the United States and our negotiating partners are poised to make concessions that would undermine our ability to ensure that Iran remains without the uranium enrichment capacity and technology necessary to develop nuclear weapons. Worse, the administration seems ready to agree that any deal would sunset in just a few years, after which Iran would be closer than ever to possessing a nuclear weapon—a proverbial turn of a screwdriver away from this devastating power. Such an outcome would prove disastrous for Israel’s security and the stability of the entire Middle East. We must not allow this to happen.
Given this immense threat, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s concerns deserve full and careful consideration by U.S. lawmakers and the American people. No single perspective could be more valuable than from the leader of our closest ally in the region, a nation that could face annihilation if confronted by a nuclear Iran. And the Prime Minister’s address could not be more timely as Congress considers imposing further sanctions against Iran—an action the Obama administration opposes, but perhaps the only means of extracting meaningful concessions from the Iranian regime.
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit raises a fundamental question for Congress and our nation: will we demonstrate mutual respect, prioritize our relationship with one of America’s closest allies, and remain committed to help ensure peace and stability in the Middle East—or will some display reflexive partisan allegiance to a deeply misguided approach? Regardless of one’s political party, the answer should be clear.
