Benjamin Netanyahu Has Right to Speak to Congress, Rudy Giuliani Says

Image by Getty Images
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a right to speak out about the Iranian nuclear threat in front of the U.S. Congress.
“I deeply admire Prime Minister Netanyahu for speaking out on this issue, but he honestly has no choice,” Giuliani said Monday in Jerusalem. “If someone threatens to kill you, you simply don’t give them the gun to do it unless there’s something wrong with you.”
Giuliani, who is in Israel to address a business conference in Herzliya, said that Israel has strong support in the United States.
He added, “If there is going to be any agreement with Iran, then it must be based upon the fact that Iran not be allowed the possibility of obtaining a nuclear arsenal.”
Netanyahu is scheduled to speak March 3 before the Congress on the Iranian nuclear threat, two weeks before national elections in Israel. He was invited by House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), irritating the White House over a lack of protocol in failing to communicate the invitation.
The Israeli leader is expected to argue that President Barack Obama’s desire to see a negotiated settlement is not enough of a deterrent and to call for increased sanctions on the Islamic Republic, which Obama is against while world powers and Iran are holding talks.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
That’s why I’m paying it Forward, by matching $36,000 of reader gifts. It’s an investment in the Forward’s newsroom, to continue telling the American Jewish story with truth and independence.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
