While President Barack Obama did not invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress, most members of the Florida delegation attended the speech on Tuesday and backed the Israeli leaders opposition to making a deal with Iran over its nuclear program.
Top members of the Obama administration -- including Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry -- were out of the country on Tuesday as Netanyahu addressed Congress. Netanyahu was invited to speak to Congress by U.S. House Speaker John Boenher, R-Ohio, infuriating the White House.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu warned about the consequences of a deal with Iran.
"We have been told that no deal is better than a bad deal, Netanyahu said. Well, this is a bad deal. It is a very bad deal. We are better off without it.
"We are being told that the only alternative to this bad deal is war, Netanyahu added. "That is just not true. The alternative to this bad deal is a much better deal.
Republicans from the Sunshine State certainly offered Netanyahu support. On Monday, Reclaim America, a PAC connected to U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., went after congressional Democrats who planned to boycott Netanyahus speech. The PAC also started collecting petitions in support of Netanyahu and Israel.
Its outrageous that Democrats are planning to boycott tomorrows speech by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Reclaim America insisted in an email to supporters on Monday. Its outrageous that President Obama and his administration would treat the ayatollah in Iran with more respect than the prime minister of Israel. Its outrageous that President Obama and Democrats in Congress are not showing the proper support for one of our most loyal allies.
More than 30 congressional Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., boycotted the speech on Tuesday.
"Congresswoman Brown believes that it is completely inappropriate for the invite to have come from Speaker Boehner, who not only bypassed President Obama and the State Department, but did not even inform them that the House leadership was inviting the Israeli prime minister to address Congress," David Simon, a spokesman for Brown, told the Orlando Sentinel on Tuesday.
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Despite not attending the speech on Tuesday, Brown insisted she was a supporter of Israel and cheered Netanyahus remarks.
As a longtime supporter of the state of Israel and active member of the Democratic-Israel-Working-Group Caucus (DIWG), I stand with the Jewish state in its continued quest for peace and prosperity for its people and for the world, Brown said after the speech. Beyond a doubt, Israel is located in a difficult part of the world, surrounded by countries and extremist organizations bent on its destruction. Nations such as Iran, and terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, who are committed to Israels destruction, are aided and abetted by nations like Iran to achieve that goal. As our partner and chief democratic ally in the Middle East, I believe that the United States must continue to do everything possible to support Israel in its quest for self-defense. Certainly, the $3 billion in yearly U.S. foreign assistance to help the state of Israels defense is money very well spent.
Israels history, based on the incredible resilience and perseverance of its people, is a story of courage and success in the face of seemingly impossible odds, Brown added. For 67 years now, Israel has stood out as a democratic beacon in a region mired by instability and dictatorial regimes.
Beyond a doubt, Prime Minister Netanyahus speech today encapsulated the importance of the friendship and bond between our two nations, Brown continued. As Americans, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to the security of our loyal ally -- in an alliance we have had since President Truman announced America's recognition of the Jewish state just minutes after its independence was declared in 1948. Beyond a doubt, the friendship between the United States and Israel is founded on common principles and it is because of those principles that, in a bipartisan fashion, both Democrats and Republicans continue to advocate jointly on behalf of the Jewish state, and I reiterate my strong support for the nation of Israel.
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., also praised Netanyahu after the speech on Tuesday.
I applaud Prime Minister Netanyahu's unwavering resolve in the face of existential threats to the democratic state of Israel, Buchanan said. The prime minister has reaffirmed and strengthened the special bond between our two great democracies and our shared fight against radical Islam. It is my hope that the prime ministers address will be heard by Secretary of State John Kerry as he negotiates with Iran over that countrys push for a nuclear weapon.
Buchanan echoed the Israeli prime ministers thoughts on a deal with Iran.
By no means should the United States accept any agreement that leaves the door open to Iran's continued pursuit of a nuclear weapon," Buchanan said. No deal is better than a bad deal."
From his perch on the U.S. Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., called for tougher sanctions on Iran and opposed any deal with that nation.
"The acquisition of nuclear weapons by a state dedicated to a jihadist ideology is not acceptable, DeSantis said. Iran should not be permitted to have any nuclear energy, yet the deal being pressed by the Obama administration would pave the way for Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. I applaud Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for making the case against this deal. Israel is a staunch ally of the United States and we share a mutual interest in preventing Iran from expanding its influence and exporting jihad throughout the Middle East.
Congress needs to reject this deal and impose tough sanctions on Iran, DeSatis added. Iran will not abandon its nuclear program unless the costs of keeping it outweigh the benefit that Iran would get from acquiring a nuclear arsenal."
U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., attended the speech though he criticized Boehner last month for making the invitation without consulting Obama. Still, the South Florida Democrat agrees with Netanyahus assertion that Europe is becoming increasingly dangerous for Jews.
Hastings announced on Monday that he and U.S. Rep. Robert Dold, R-Ill., will be taking up a proposal from U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Rubio and other senators authorizing the White House to work closer with European officials against anti-Semitism.
Today, the prevalence of Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism across our globe is once again on the rise. All one needs to do is look across Europe to see this disturbing trend, said Hastings on Monday. We must stand with the Jewish community in Europe and demand that our European allies work diligently and without delay to confront and put an end to these heinous acts. Blind hatred has no place in our world, and each of us has the responsibility to make our own communities safer and a more tolerant place to live."
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
