Netanyahu: Congress Speech Isn’t About ‘Confrontation’ with Obama

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put out a lengthy statement today on his impending address to the U.S. Congress, making it clear he’s not trying to stir a “confrontation” with President Obama.

In the statement, Netanyahu says, “Israel’s survival is not a partisan issue, not in Israel nor in the United States.” He acknowledges, multiple times, some differences between the U.S. and Israel in their approach to Israel’s security.

RELATED: Netanyahu Addresses Congress Speech, Dismisses WH Objections

But these differences, he explains, have never “led to a rupture” in their relationship. And he addresses his personal relationship with President Obama head-on:

This is not a personal disagreement between President Obama and me. I deeply appreciate all that he has done for Israel in many fields. Equally, I know that the President appreciates my responsibility, my foremost responsibility, to protect and defend the security of Israel.

I am going to the United States not because I seek a confrontation with the President, but because I must fulfill my obligation to speak up on a matter that affects the very survival of my country.

You can read the full statement here.

[image via yakub88/Shutterstock]

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

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