As expected, reaction to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Washington DC Congressional address broke pretty much along party lines, both in Israel and the United States. Those already susceptible to Netanyahu’s war fever heard a compelling, irrefutable case against any nuclear deal with Iran. Those familiar with Netanyahu’s “boy who cried wolf” routine weren’t persuaded.
In Israel, Netanyahu’s expected election numbers remained virtually unchanged following the speech, while in the United States, the bipartisan neocon cabal in Washington and its media claimed “leadership envy” (Elisabeth Hasselbeck, R-Fox News), using the speech as a tool with which to bludgeon their supposedly weak President.
Most sane Americans knew what Netanyahu’s US tour was all about even before he arrived: More war. That’s why they largely opposed it. Americans didn’t need Netanyahu in Washington to explain his position – they’re already well aware of it because he’s been trumpeting the same dire warnings for decades.