Netanyahu addresses the Joint Session of Congress (short term convenience VS long term security)

Menachem Begin: Israel's first Prime Minister from the Likud party

On June 7, 1981, Prime Minister Begin ordered the destruction of Iraq's nuclear reactor, shortly before it became operational and on the eve of the June 30 Israeli election.  In the short run, Begin was condemned and punished globally, accused of politicking and undermining US-Israel relations.  However, in the long run Begin's defiance dramatically enhanced Israel's power projection, upgraded US-Israel strategic cooperation and spared the US a nuclear confrontation in 1991.   
 

In 2015, Prime Minister Netanyahu is urged to cancel his address at the March 3 Joint Session of Congress - on the eve of the March 31 deadline for an agreement with Iran and the March 17 Israeli election - lest it undermine US-Israel relations and fuels the rift between him and President Obama. Netanyahu is told that the President – and not Congress – possesses the authority to conclude/reject an agreement with Iran. (Read More)