Netanyahu Lobbies AIPAC: Time for Israel, U.S. to Align on Iran

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with senior AIPAC management via video call from the Prime Minister's Office in the Knesset on Monday to discuss strengthening Israeli and U.S. cooperation on Iran.

Netanyahu thanked AIPAC for their activity and support of Israel and addressed Iran, the furthering of peace accords between Israel and other countries in the region as well as Israel-U.S. relations at an open discussion with AIPAC President Betsy Berns Korn.

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Regarding Iran, Netanyahu said that the world is now witnessing the regime's oppression of citizens, as well as the executions of freedom protesters: "Now, thanks to the brave Iranian men and women, the whole world sees what we said – that this is a terrible regime, depressive and terroristic."

At a cabinet meeting last Tuesday, Netanyahu stated that he intends to publicly oppose the renewal of a nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, emphasizing that he will fight the deal's renewal "not only behind closed doors with leaders, but also powerfully and openly in front of [the court of] international public opinion."

Netanyahu further said to the AIPAC executives that "The time has come for Israel and the United States, along with other countries, to stand together, and I look forward to discussing this with President Biden and his team. Today, more people agree on the issue than ever before."

Netanyahu, who leads Israel's newly appointed far-right government that revealed last week its plans to dramatically overhaul Israel’s legal and judiciary systems, told AIPAC executives that he is working to broaden the circle of peace and that he is optimistic because many Arab leaders have changed their perception of Israel and now see it as a partner rather than an enemy.

Despite their blossoming top-down ties with Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco, the signatories to the U.S.-brokered normalization agreements with Israel in 2020, were among the 87 countries that backed a UN resolution requesting a legal opinion from the International Court of Justice on whether Israel's long-standing occupation of Palestinian territories constitutes de facto annexation.