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In front of 16,000, Rice opposes AIPAC’s Iran agenda, Menendez opposes Rice

National Security Advisor Susan Rice‘s speech on Monday may go down as the most contentious in recent memory at an AIPAC policy conference, during a historically tense period of the U.S.-Israel alliance.
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March 2, 2015

National Security Advisor Susan Rice‘s speech on Monday may go down as the most contentious in recent memory at an AIPAC policy conference, during a historically tense period of the U.S.-Israel alliance.

She began by heaping praise on Israel, saying some words in Hebrew and making clear – to roaring applause – that a “bad deal” on Iran’s nuclear program is worse than “no deal.”

But then her remarks took a sharp turn to highlight the Obama administration’s differences over Iran policy with AIPAC.

“We cannot let a totally unachievable ideal stand in the way of a good deal,” Rice said of the ongoing negotiations with Iran. “I know that some of you will be urging Congress to insist that Iran forego its domestic enrichment capacity entirely.”

And with that, Rice left no room for doubt – in front of 16,000 of Israel’s most ardent American supporters – that she and the Obama administration oppose what AIPAC has tasked its delegates with as they lobby Capitol Hill on Tuesday; namely, asking Congress to pass legislation, in the midst of negotiations, that would automatically hit Iran with sanctions if a deal is not reached by the March 24 deadline. AIPAC is also supporting a bill that would give Congress final say on any deal reached with Iran, a bill the White House said President Obama would veto.

The audience members, instead of booing Rice as she labeled their goal an “unachievable ideal”, applauded loudly, clearly signaling, in as polite a manner as they could, that they disagree.

Rice continued: “If that is our goal our partners will abandon us and undermine the very sanctions we have opposed so effectively together. Simply put, that is not a viable negotiating position.”

Criticizing the aim of of de-nuclearizing Iran as unrealistically expecting Iran to “unlearn the scientific and nuclear expertise it already possesses”, Rice then said, “Some would argue that we should just impose sanctions and walk away.”

And again, the crowd, in disagreement, gave a loud and energetic applause. Unfazed, Rice continued:

“Congress has played a hugely important role in helping to build our sanctions on Iran but they shouldn’t play the spoiler now,” she said. “Additional sanctions or restricted legislation enacted during the negotiations would blow up the talks, divide the international community and cause the United States to be blamed for failure to reach a deal.”

Although Rice spent much of the speech documenting both her support for Israel when she served as ambassador to the U.N., and the Obama administration’s support of the U.S. ally, her explicit, on the record opposition to AIPAC’s agenda this year stole the show.

And it was amplified because of her comments on “Charlie Rose” on Feb. 24 that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Tuesday address to Congress would be “destructive of the fabric of the relationship”, comments that upset many attendees here.

Shortly before Rice's address, Obama gave an interview in the White House to Reuters correspondent Jeff Mason, in which he said new sanctions wouldn't make Iran abandon its nuclear program and that Netanyahu “made all sorts of claims” when the interim nuclear deal was announced in November 2013, claims that Obama said haven't come true.

“We should let these negotiations play out,” Obama said. Asked whether he agreed with Rice's characterization of Netanyahu's upcoming speech as “destructive”, the President responded, “I don’t think it’s permanently destructive. I think that it is a distraction.” 

Obama further implied that Boehner invited Netanyahu for partisan reasons and that he's “less concerned” with Netanyahu's address than with Iranian nuclear legislation Congress is considering; the bills that AIPAC supports.

Rice’s speech Monday evening followed two morning speeches by U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, and Netanyahu, in which both gave reassurances of the close U.S.-Israel alliance and more or less avoided discussing the disagreements underlying recent fissures in relations between the two governments, particularly between Obama and Netanyahu.

After Rice’s speech, which appeared to both shock and enliven much of the crowd, Senator Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), perhaps Israel’s leading supporter among Senate Democrats, took the stage, almost immediately taking a shot at Rice.

“I must disagree with those who say the Prime Minister’s visit to the United States is destructive to U.S.-Israel relations,” Menendez said.Tomorrow I will be proud when I escort the Prime Minister to the House chamber to give his speech.”

Coming just minutes after Rice’s remarks, the crowd gave Menendez a rousing applause, this time as a sign of adoration.

“I am not intimidated by anyone,” Menendez said. “Not Israel’s political enemies and not my political friends.”

He slammed Rice’s remark that the White House wants to keep Iran’s “breakout capacity” – the time it would take Iran to produce enough highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon – at one year.

“It is not a good deal if it leaves Iran as a threshold nuclear state,” Menendez said. “If we have no more than a year to respond, it’s not enough time for us to do anything other than exercise a military option.”

By the end of Menendez’s speech, the crowd’s applause sounded at least as loud as the one it gave Netanyahu after his address Monday morning, a speech that – combined with Samantha Power’s – gave the impression that there’s less tension in the U.S.-Israel relationship, or at least the Obama-Netanyahu relationship, than reports have suggested.

Netanyahu spent about half of his 20-minute speech Monday morning reassuring the reported 16,000 AIPAC delegates in attendance that America and Israel are “mishpucha” (Yiddish for “family”), that he wants Israel to remain a bipartisan issue, and that he “regrets” that his address to Congress has been “misperceived” as a partisan and political tactic.

“You’re here to tell the world that reports of the demise of U.S.-Israeli relations are not only premature, they’re just wrong,” Netanyahu said. “Our alliance is stronger than ever.”

He publicly thanked President Obama for U.S. military aid, intelligence sharing and reliable and friendly votes in the U.N., and described what is not the purpose of his Tuesday speech before he discussed what is the purpose.

“My speech is not intended to show any disrespect to President Obama or the esteemed office that he holds,” Netanyahu said. “I have great respect for both.”

But, he added, the nuclear deal that is coming into focus as the ostensible March 24 deadline approaches is one that, in its current form, may “threaten the survival of Israel.”

“We have a voice. I plan to use that voice,” Netanyahu said. “I plan to speak about an Iranian regime that is threatening to destroy Israel, that is devouring country after country in the Middle East, that is exporting terror throughout the world and is developing, as we speak, the capacity to make nuclear weapons – lots of them”

Netanyahu spoke shortly after an address by Power, who was the first White House official to speak at this year’s conference, and who was greeted warmly by the crowd.

AIPAC’s apparent concern, though, that some delegates would react hostilely to Power – as a representative of an administration perceived by many here as antagonistic to Israel’s security interests – was made clear by a slide that flashed on the wall of Casper the Friendly Ghost that read: “Don’t boo! Be friendly.” And before Power took the stage, a line from a presentation video reminded the crowd “to treat all of our speakers and fellow delegates as guests in our home.”

The American ambassador, like Netanyahu, reaffirmed America’s alliance with Israel and said that debate amongst allies on how to prevent Iran from going nuclear “is a necessary part of arriving at informed decisions – politicizing that process is not.”

“The stakes are too high for that,” Power said, all but certainly alluding to Speaker of the House John Boehner’s controversial invitation to Netanyahu to speak to Congress about the Iranian negotiations, and Netanyahu’s acceptance.

With the presumed architect of the Boehner-Netanyahu invitation – Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer – sitting a few feet from the podium, Israel’s leader said the “last thing” he or anyone who supports Israel would want “is for Israel to become a partisan issue.”

“I regret that some people have misperceived my visit here this week as doing that,” Netanyahu said.

Although some of AIPAC’s leadership was reportedly upset over Netanyahu’s handling of the impending Tuesday speech, neither they nor the audience expressed their annoyance publically Monday. After AIPAC president Bob Cohen announced Netanyahu, the crowd gave him a rousing minute-plus standing ovation as he walked to the podium. And when Netanyahu publicly thanked Dermer, the crowd again stood and cheered as he appeared on the multiple large screens set up around the hall.

The difference between Washington and Jerusalem over Iran’s nuclear capabilities, Netanyahu said, is just the most recent one in a decades long friendship that has survived numerous disputes.

“Despite occasional disagreements the friendship between America and Israel grew stronger and stronger decade after decade,” he said. “Our friendship will weather the current disagreement.”


Mar. 2, 11:20 p.m.: This story has been updated with more details.

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