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Source: https://mishpacha.com/front-row-seat-to-history/
Netanyahu's Iran Speech to Congress Increased Arab Respect for Israel
(Mishpacha) Amb. Ron Dermer interviewed by Gedalia Guttentag - As the U.S. nuclear deal with Iran was emerging in 2015, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a protocol-defying speech to a joint session of Congress to sound the alarm. Amb. Ron Dermer says, "Without that speech, I doubt that we'd have the peace deals with the Arab states today." The speech changed the perception of Israel in the Arab world. "If the prime minister of Israel is willing to stand up for what he believes in, then we [Israel] can be an independent force to rely on. And I can tell you as a fact that the speech dramatically accelerated contacts beneath the surface between Israel and many Arab states." "If you think about it from the Arab states' point of view, what you see is an Iranian tiger or an ISIS leopard, and you have an 800-pound American gorilla that is leaving the building, and they look around and see a 250-pound gorilla with a kippah on, and they say, well, you know, we'd like to have a strong partnership with you." "I've met Joe Biden many times. He's an extremely warm and friendly person. He's somebody I think has a deep emotional commitment to Israel - he passes the 'kishke test' with flying colors. He's been involved in politics for 50 years, and I think his bond with Israel is extremely strong." "We hope that a new administration works toward trying to find a common position where they will not go back to the mistakes of the past."