Netanyahu, Boehner’s political agenda deals a blow to the nation

Tomorrow, the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, will be delivering a controversial address before Congress about policies affecting Iran’s nuclear program. The subject of the address, however, has nothing to do with the controversy.

What makes this meeting odd is that Netanyahu was invited by Speaker of the House John Boehner who failed to inform the administration of the invitation, Netanyahu has chosen to make this visit two weeks before Israeli elections, stating that he is on a “fateful, even historic mission,” and President Obama, who believes the prime minister merely coming because of election politics, has refused to meet with Netanyahu.

Both citizens and members of Congress should be alarmed by this political game. Netanyahu’s visit is the result of two acts of political sabotage. First, Netanyahu’s acceptance of Boehner’s invitation suggests that the Prime Minister is more interested in his own political advancement than in the increasingly strained relationship he retains with the President of his nation’s most vital ally. Second, Boehner’s invitation undermines the traditional role of President as Head of State and communicates a blatant lack of respect for the administration and an unwillingness to extend even the most basic courtesy from one branch of government to the other.

Each of these flagrant violations of cordiality should be worrying to the American people.

To start, the President of the United States is intended to be a figurehead for the nation. It is not uncommon or unreasonable for this figurehead to be criticized, mocked and disrespected by members of the opposing party within our own country, but when our figurehead is disrespected by a foreign entity, the entire nation should feel disrespected. Netanyahu has now set a negative precedent that the executive branch can been seen as irrelevant and ignored. Though this view would be damaging if held by an enemy, it is an even more cutting insult that this view is held by an ally. Netanyahu’s acceptance of Boehner’s invitation delegitimizes presidential authority in foreign relations, and in a time where foreign affairs are increasingly important to the country’s safety, a delegitimized President is a very worrying proposition.

Additionally, if our government cannot extend the basic courtesy of communicating within branches and across party lines, all hopes of compromise, diplomacy, and bipartisanship in this country are lost. The pressing policy decisions made on the Hill, like the United States’ decisions regarding the nuclear program in Iran, should not be tainted by petty political pissing matches.

Members of government cannot possibly hope that we will trust them if they cannot trust one another. Netanyahu and Boehner need to reevaluate their priorities and begin to put policies over politics.

Sarah Green is a sophomore majoring in economics. Her column, “Power Politics,” runs Mondays.