Congressman Peter King (R-NY), Chairman of the House Sub-Committee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence and former chairman of its Homeland Security Committee told Arutz Sheva Thursday he has “never seen such an enthusiastic response” as the response to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's upcoming speech to Congress, in which he plans to lay out his objections to the deal being formulated with Iran regarding its nuclear weapons program. He added that he is mystified by the “grudging attitude” exhibited by the White House, which he described as defying “all rules of diplomacy” and an example of “politics at its worst.”
Speaking to Dr. Joseph Frager, King said that he would expect President Barack Obama to welcome Netanyahu and listen to what he has to say on the deal being worked out with Iran, rather than turn a cold shoulder.
“I would think that the president and Democratic leaders would welcome Prime Minister Netanyahu coming in to have a dialogue,” King said, “so if he does have legitimate objections, then raise them at the national level, so we can get this resolved.”
He also described hearing a lot of resentment about “people taking shots at our closest ally.”
If the Senate majority decides that the agreement with Iran is a bad one, he said, ways would have to be found to defund the deal, or “put a mechanism in force that it can't be enforced.” The deadline set by the negotiators for an agreement, he noted, is March 24.
"All of our survival is threatened by Iran, but you guys are right in that neighborhood,” he explained. “You feel it more than any of us... No one would have a greater knowledge" of the pros and cons of a proposed deal than the Israelis, he stated.
Members of Congress "are concerned" over signs that negotiations between world powers, led by the US, and Iran would end with an "insufficient" agreement, C continued.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu himself voiced similar concerns over the pending deal. "This agreement, if indeed it is signed," he warned, "will allow Iran to become a nuclear threshold state. That is, with the consent of the major powers, Iran – which openly declares its intention to destroy the State of Israel – will receive a license to develop the production of bombs.
"This is a bad agreement that endangers our future," and the reason he was so determined to address Congress, Netanyahu added.
Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)echoed those sentiments Thursday.
"It is unacceptable for Iran to have nuclear weapons capability, and the only acceptable agreement is one that ends their program, is completely transparent and verifiable," she told Dr. Frager, dismissing claims by Tehran that its nuclear program is peaceful: "You don't need enriched uranium or underground facilities or a plutonium reactor for peaceful nuclear power."