--- title: Reaction to Benjamin Netanyahu Speech Divides Along Partisan Lines description: Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech before Congress Tuesday was exactly what he said he didn't intend it to be: political. canonical: https://time.com/3730473/benjamin-netanyahu-congress-speech-reaction/ author: Alex Rogers article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-03-03T19:40:06.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:40:54.097Z article:section: Politics og:title: Reaction to Netanyahu Speech Divides Along Partisan Lines og:description: Democrats cheered for parts, but stayed seated for Netanyahu's biggest point. og:url: https://time.com/3730473/benjamin-netanyahu-congress-speech-reaction/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf923acfa4099cb8e/698781f5a988ca69ef6acc48/netanyahu-congress4.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2100 og:image:height: 1181 og:image:alt: Israeli PM Netanyahu Addresses Joint Meeting Of Congress og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Reaction to Netanyahu Speech Divides Along Partisan Lines twitter:description: Democrats cheered for parts, but stayed seated for Netanyahu's biggest point. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf923acfa4099cb8e/698781f5a988ca69ef6acc48/netanyahu-congress4.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Reaction to Netanyahu Speech Divides Along Partisan Lines > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: Know Right Now: Netanyahu's Visit Causes Tensions Between Israel and the U.S. [Watch (HLS stream): Know Right Now: Netanyahu's Visit Causes Tensions Between Israel and the U.S.](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/1r3FQru4.m3u8) (1:03)  _Published 2015-02-25. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to speak before a joint session of Congress on March 3rd, and the upcoming speech is having an affect on politics worldwide._ by [Alex Rogers](https://time.com/author/alex-rogers/) ## Alex Rogers Mar 3, 2015 7:40 PM UTC  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of the United States Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol on March 3, 2015 in Washington, DC. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of the United States Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol on March 3, 2015 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee—Getty Images by [Alex Rogers](https://time.com/author/alex-rogers/) ## Alex Rogers Mar 3, 2015 7:40 PM UTC Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before Congress on Tuesday was exactly what he said he didn’t intend it to be: political. While many of his points brought both Democrats and Republicans to their feet — “This Capitol dome helped build our Iron Dome” was a clear winner — Democrats stayed seated for the point that [mattered most](https://twitter.com/KellyO/status/572799578438696960). “This is a bad deal,” said Netanyahu, of the negotiations by the Obama Administration and five other countries to prevent the Iranian regime from obtaining nuclear weapons. “It’s a very bad deal. We’re better off without it.” There was a clear contrast in Netanyahu’s support from the beginning, when ear-splitting cheers arose for the handshake between House Speaker John Boehner and Netanyahu. In the front row, Illinois GOP Senator Mark Kirk, an Iran hawk, rose to his feet and banged his cane against the ground in approval throughout the speech. ### 7 Times World Leaders Addressed Congress  Pope Francis, addressed a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress with with Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House John Boehner in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Sept. 24, 2015, urging legislators to work together to solve problems and avoid polarization Jim Lo Scalzo—EPA  Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister, addressed Congress on March 3, 2015, urging a stop to the Iran nuclear talks. His policy positions are often controversial, but he enjoys a privileged position when it comes to visiting the legislature, this was his third visit to Congress. Mandel Ngan—AFP/Getty Images  Yitzhak Rabin, Israeli Prime Minister, and King Hussein of Jordan shake hands following a joint address to Congress on July 26, 1994\. In the second of two Arab-Israeli appearances, Jordan's leader appeared with Israel's prime minister to celebrate their peace treaty. The treaty, signed the next month, ended a 46-year state of war. David Rubinger—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Nelson Mandela addresses Congress on June 26, 1990\. At the time, he was president of the African National Congress. Apartheid was still law in South Africa and Mandela had only just been released from prison a few months before his appearance before lawmakers. Kevin Larkin—AFP/Getty Images  Benazir Bhutto, prime minister of Pakistan, addresses Congress on June 7, 1989\. She was the first woman elected to lead an Islamic state, and she remains Pakistan's only woman prime minister to date. After serving two non-consecutive terms, she was exiled to Dubai in 1999\. She returned to Pakistan in 2007 to run for the office again, and was assassinated. J.Scott—AP  Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister, addressed Congress on Feb. 20, 1985\. She was the first female head of state to do so who was not a monarch. Bob Daugherty—AP  Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, left, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin respond to applause in the chambers of the U.S. House of Representatives during a joint session of Congress on Sept. 18, 1978\. A day earlier, the leaders had signed the historic Camp David accords, which ended 30 years of war and led to a peace treaty between the two nations in 1979. AP  Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, addressed Congress on April 12, 1962\. He was deposed in 1979\. No Iranian leader has addressed a joint session since. Aziz Rashki—AP On the key “we’re better off without it” line, GOP megadonor Sheldon Adelson, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Senator Joe Lieberman joined the Republicans’ standing ovation in their seats overlooking the chamber. Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, who ran a 2012 congressional campaign that Adelson backed, said before the speech that it could convince Congressmen to overcome an Obama veto of a controversial Iran sanctions bill. “I think if the Prime Minister really makes his case, the Kirk-Menendez bill — increasing sanctions against Iran should there not be a deal — could pass,” said Boteach. “They’re close. They almost have enough Senators to override a promised presidential veto and maybe that’s what the Prime Minister is aiming for more than anything else.” After the speech, foreign policy hawks said that the U.S. should walk away from the negotiating table. “I thought it was very reasonable,” said Bill Kristol, founder of the _Weekly Standard_ and an attendee of the event. “The world will not end if there’s not a deal and if sanctions are reimposed. The world was chugging along two years ago with sanctions and no deal … As Netanyahu said, as many people have said, If it’s a bad deal, you can’t sign a bad deal. You’re not walking away.” **MORE:** [Netanyahu’s Speech Tied Him in Knots](http://time.com/3730233/benjamin-netanyahu-congress-speech/) During the speech, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi was in “near tears.” “I was near tears throughout the Prime Minister’s speech — saddened by the insult to the intelligence of the United States as part of the P5 +1 nations, and saddened by the condescension toward our knowledge of the threat posed by Iran and our broader commitment to preventing nuclear proliferation,” she said in a statement. Dozens of Democrats boycotted the speech, which came on Boehner’s invitation without White House consultation and two weeks before Netanyahu’s election. Even those Democrats who agreed with Netanyahu that the deal is “bad” blasted his speech for lacking a specific plan forward. “This is a bad deal,” said California Democratic Representative Brad Sherman. “He showed us why this deal is a bad deal. The alternative to a bad deal is we’re in a bad situation. And he did not give us a clear road map to a good deal.” _Read next:_ [_Netanyahu Will Be Speaking in Winston Churchill’s Shadow_](http://time.com/3727163/netanyahu-churchill-history/?xid=time%5Freadnext) [_Listen to the most important stories of the day._](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/?sl%5Fautoplay=true&xid=spl-fullbrief-article) ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] I did not consult with the White House the Congress can make this decision on its own. I don't believe I'm poking anyone in the eye. > For us to undermine diplomacy at this critical time for no good reason is a mistake. I want there to be no confusion on this point. Israel will not allow Iran to get nuclear weapons. There has now been injected a degree of partisanship, which is not only unfortunate, I think it's. It, it's destructive of the fabric of the relationship. 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