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 Netanyahu is due to address a joint session of Congress about
Iran's nuclear program on March 3, just two weeks before Israeli
elections, following an invitation from John Boehner, the Republican
speaker of the house.
Boehner's invitation has caused consternation in both Israel and the
United States, largely because it is seen as Netanyahu, a hawk on
Iran, working with the Republicans to thumb their noses at President
Barack Obama's policy on Iran.
It is also seen as putting Netanyahu's political links to the
Republicans ahead of Israel's nation-to-nation ties with the United
States, its strongest and most important ally, while serving as a
pre-election campaign booster.
As a result, Israeli officials are considering whether Netanyahu
should speak to a closed-door session of Congress, rather than in a
prime-time TV address, so as to drain some of the intensity from the
event, a source said.
 Boehner's spokesman, Michael Steel, said the speech was still
scheduled to go ahead as planned on the appointed date but he
declined to comment on the report that Israeli officials were
considering amending the speech's format.
Another option is for the prime minister to make his speech at the
annual meeting of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in
Washington the same week, rather than in Congress.
"The issue has been under discussion for a week," said a source
close to the prime minister's office. "(Netanyahu) is discussing it
with Likud people. Some say he should give up on the speech, others
that he should go through with it."
But Netanyahu told voters from the Russian speaking community on
Monday evening that he was determined to discuss Israel's objections
in Washington to an emerging deal with Iran but he did not say if
that meant a public speech in Congress.
"I am ... determined to go to Washington to present Israel's
position to the members of Congress and the American people,"
Netanyahu said, repeating that nuclear weapons in Iran's hands would
constitute an existential threat to Israel.
An opinion poll by Israel's Army Radio on Monday said 47 percent of
people think Netanyahu should cancel the address, while 34 percent
say he should go ahead with it.
Since the issue arose, there are signs it is having an impact on his
poll ratings ahead of the March 17 election.
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Obama said his decision not to meet with Netanyahu followed basic
protocol of not meeting with world leaders before an election.
"Some of this just has to do with how we do business, and I think
it's important for us to maintain these protocols because the
U.S.-Israeli relationship is not about a particular party," Obama
said at a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel
in Washington.
A poll by the Times of Israel on Monday showed Netanyahu's Likud
would win 23 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, four fewer than the
center-left opposition. Earlier polls showed Likud and the
opposition alliance neck-and-neck on 24 seats.
Speaking on radio last week, Israel's deputy foreign minister
suggested Netanyahu had been "misled" about the speech, believing it
to be bipartisan when the Democrats were not entirely on board.
While that may have created some room for Netanyahu to get out of it
if the pressure at home and from Washington becomes too great, it
may be too late.
If he withdraws now it may make him look weak with core voters.
Furthermore, he needs an opportunity to play up his tough-on-Iran
credentials before election, with national security an overriding
issue for voters.
(Writing by Luke Baker; Editing by Ralph Boulton, Toni Reinhold)
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