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John McCain: Netanyahu Should 'Speak to the American People'
Sunday, January 25, 2015 01:37 PM
By: Greg Richter
Sen. John McCain said Sunday that the American people need to hear from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on America's nuclear negotiations with Iran.
The White House was angered when House Speaker John Boehner invited Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress one day after President Barack Obama's State of the Union address. Most Republicans and some Democrats are angry that Congress is not being consulted in the talks.
"Relations have never been worse between ourselves and the only genuine democracy in the entire Middle East," McCain told "Face the Nation." "They are convinced that these negotiations with Iran will lead to Iranian acquisition of a nuclear weapon which will then nuclearize the entire Middle East that will be a direct threat to existence of the state of Israel."
McCain said it is "important that Prime Minister Netanyahu speak to the American people," adding that congressional ratification is needed for any agreement.
"This is too big to not be treated as a treaty," he said.
Iran denies its nuclear program is aimed at developing weapons, saying it only wants to have a nuclear power program. Few believe that, since Iran is oil-rich and has little need to develop alternative forms of energy.
Opponents say the White House strategy is actually allowing Iran more time to move ahead with a weapons program and want to impose more sanctions to show Iran the United States is serious.
McCain said Obama has "lost touch with reality" regarding Iran, noting that the country is backing Shia rebels who have just forced out the U.S.-friendly president of Yemen.
"The Iranians are either dominant or extremely influential in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen," he said. "They're on the move in Bahrain and they are winning.
Responding to White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough's assurances earlier in the program that the United States is dealing effectively with terrorists, McCain said the White House has no real strategy.
"It is delusional for them to think that what they're doing is succeeding," he said.
