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Netanyahu's Speech to Congress Comes at Right Time, Right Place
(Los Angeles Times) Yuli Edelstein - Imagine for a moment that your neighbor down the street was engaged in some basement science that could level your house and even kill you, if he so desired. Your best friend, who happens to live some distance away, out of harm's reach, can end the threat to your life and property but is now trying to legalize your neighbor's dangerous work. What would you do? Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech to Congress has been preceded by so much talk of protocol and partisanship that we seem to have lost the forest for the trees. For more than a decade, Iran has been illicitly developing nuclear capabilities and thumbing its nose at efforts to monitor its progress in accordance with international guidelines. During that period, Iran has worked assiduously to expand its influence throughout the Middle East. Iranian money, arms and training assistance have enabled Hizbullah and Hamas to rank alongside al-Qaeda and Islamic State as the world's most dangerous terrorist organizations. We have a historic opportunity to dismantle Iran's nuclear program; unfortunately, the agreement taking shape falls short of what we can achieve. This agreement would reward Iran for defying international norms and encourage other countries to do the same. My own conversations with senior members of Congress in recent weeks have confirmed that they deeply understand and appreciate our concerns and remain committed to Israel's security. The speech on Tuesday is about whether we, as free people committed to democratic ideals, are still capable of standing together and resisting the temptation to compromise and appease our foes. The writer is the speaker of Israel's parliament, the Knesset.