November 06, 2015
Netanyahu May Try to Mend Fences in First U.S. Visit Since Iran Deal
Source: The New York Times
Journalist Julie Hirschfeld Davis
WASHINGTON — Democratic members of Congress felt the wrath of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and pro-Israel groups almost immediately after announcing their support for the nuclear deal with Iran.
They were left off the guest list of the annual Rosh Hashana reception at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, traditionally a bipartisan affair. Senator Chris Coons of Delaware was nearly disinvited by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee from a gathering with wealthy donors in New York City — a result, the group told members, of his “disappointing decision on the Iran vote.” Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, who is facing an expensive re-election campaign in 2016, had fund-raisers around the country canceled by pro-Israel supporters.
Now Mr. Netanyahu, who is to visit Washington on Monday for his first meeting with President Obama since the vote on the Iran deal, is trying to heal the deep wounds. But both sides are eyeing each other warily, nursing raw feelings and fearing that the bipartisanship that is part of the bond between the United States and Israel may still be at risk.
Read the full article at The New York Times.