By now, we have all heard that Benjamin Netanyahu is speaking before the United States Congress at the behest of Speaker of the House John Boehner, and a lot of people are up in arms. The simple fact is, John Boehner can invite anyone he wants to speak to Congress without the President’s approval, which is just a courtesy afforded to the leader of the free world. With the hostilities between President Obama and PM Netanyahu, it just sounds like both are looking to pick a fight.
One must ask a question about Netanyahu; why would he put himself in this situation? Why is it so important for the Prime Minister of Israel to speak to anyone who will listen about the threat of Iran to the world?
Israel HaYom reported on Friday, that there is a direct Iranian presence in Lebanon. A report from the Middle East Media Research Institute, or MEMRI, reports a very grim reality in the loosening of borders in the Arab world.
“Israel faces a fateful crisis. As much as it feared the Iranian nuclear program, it never imagined that Iran would be standing on its border even before its nuclear agreement with the Americans was complete. The Iranian threat to Israel is no longer theoretical, nor does it have anything to do with Israel’s deterrent of using its nuclear weapons, which cannot be used considering the international power balance. The threat has become direct, practical and conventional.” – Feb. 13, 2015. Nahed Al-Hattar, Al-Akhbar.
It also supports statements made by Iranian Revolutionary Guard representative Ali Saeedi
“The borders of Islamic Iran have expanded [all the way] to the shores of the Mediterranean and the countries of the region are supported by Iran. … We must prepare the ground for the globalization of the Islamic Revolution.”
Of course Israel is in Iran’s crosshairs. Israel is a threat to Iran’s very existence in the Middle East, with its ability to give women rights, religious freedom for all and chances for a better life, it stands in stark contrast to Iran. This isn’t the reason the only reason PM Netanyahu is coming to the United States however. He is coming as a harbinger of Iran’s growing threat to the world. Whether President Obama wants to admit it or not, Benjamin Netanyahu has become somewhat of a political authority on the dangers of terrorism and terrorist’ mindset.
Being that Iran refers to America and Israel as the Great and Little Satan, respectively, the United States and Israel are intertwined in each other’s security and should act as such.
As stated in many articles, Iran has developed a new long-range ICBM, or Intercontinental Ballistic Missle “whose range far exceeds the distance between Iran and Israel, and between Iran and Europe.” A missile that can reach the shores of the United States is a frightening reality. With unlimited levels of hatred, fanatical religious fervor and money, Iran is not a joke. Iran must be taken seriously.
That is why Prime Minister Netanyahu MUST come to speak to the United States. With the consistent cooling off of relations between the current US administration and Israel, Netanyahu must remain in the forefront of relevance with his allies, most of which are pulling a very Chamberlain-esque stance on Iran, to the point of keeping vital information from Israel about Iranian nuclear discussions.
This isn’t a rallying cry for the security of Israel. Israel is threatened daily from Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, the Assad regime, the PLO, all of which are backed by Iranian money and training. This is a rallying cry for the world to wake up.
If ever there was a time for someone to discuss an existential threat to the life and well-being of the world, now is the time and Benjamin Netanyahu is the someone.