Imagine for a moment that you have been living under a rock the past few years. You wake from your slumber to see a foreign leader bashing your president on the floor of congress. This charismatic leader warns of an impending disaster and says your president is responsible. He asks you, as well as your elected leaders, to join him in sabotaging your president's deal.
His rhetoric is lofty. It sounds incredibly convincing. Every ten seconds the crowd erupts with applause. But soon you realize that, despite his powerful words, this foreign leader offers no plan of his own to avert the upcoming "disaster."
Then you realize that this leader is speaking to congress just two weeks ahead of his re-election bid. His speech isn't designed to solve the "disaster" he warns against. It's only intended to win him a few more votes by elevating his reputation as a distinguished "statesman" on the world stage.
Now imagine that the country the foreign leader comes from has been your closest, most cherished ally for decades. And oh, by the way, the foreign leader who is speaking to your congress secretly arranged the visit without the knowledge or approval of your president.
This is exactly what happened on Tuesday when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to the US Congress about the need to reject President Obama's nuclear deal with Iran.
MISSING THE FOREST AMONGST THE TREES
After watching Netanyahu's speech, one would assume that the biggest, most pivotal issue facing Israel is a nuclear Iran.
Problem is, it isn't.
Problem is, it isn't.
Israel knows that America will not allow Iran to get a nuclear weapon. Even if a "bad deal" includes the 10-year sunset clause, which Netanyahu rails against, it's not like America will sit back and allow Iran to build a bomb in 2025. We will go to war with Iran and blow up their facilities if we get even the slightest inkling that they are close to going nuclear.
In the mean time, Obama's deal would make Israel more safe in the short term because it forces Iran to bring their nuclear program out of the shadows and be closely monitored and kept in check for the years to come.
As a result, the biggest issue facing Israel isn't a nuclear Iran, as much as Netanyahu would love for you to believe. Instead, it's an issue that the Israeli Prime Minister devotes almost zero attention to: making peace with the Palestinians.
Simply put, if Netanyahu wins re-election on March 17th, the peace process loses.
A staunch opponent of a two-state solution, Netanyahu has no interest in reaching a peace settlement with the Palestinians. He will continue to build settlements on occupied land, inflaming tensions and stoking hatreds. The people of Gaza will continue to live in squalor, their homes destroyed, their movements restricted and their economic prospects limited.
If Netanyahu wins, the next half-decade will be just like the last. Gaza Wars will become annual events, a new one launched every summer.
Meanwhile, Israel will move closer to becoming an apartheid state.
But unfortunately, none of this even gets mentioned; not on the nightly news and especially not in a televised speech to congress.
ROOTING AGAINST BIBI
Netanyahu's decision to address congress was a partisan move that adds nothing constructive to the Iran conversation. It only serves to dishonor the historic, bipartisan partnership between the United States and Israel.
But that's not the only reason why it's so destructive.
It's so destructive because it consumes all the oxygen in the room. It serves as a shiny object that everyone can stare at, which excuses them from addressing the elephant in the room: making peace with the Palestinians.
I must admit, on a purely visceral level, I loved Netanyahu's speech. It made me proud to be half-Jewish. It made me proud that the Jewish people have their own country and can now defend themselves against people who vow to wipe them off the map.
But Bibi's speech does not come in a vacuum. It does not change the fact that it was a deeply cynical and destructive partisan move.
As an American, I won't be voting in the Israeli election. But I'll be rooting against Bibi.
Not because his speech disrespected my president or dishonored the historic partnership between the US and Israel- but because if Bibi wins, the peace process loses.
