Netanyahu Visits Western Wall before Leaving for US

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prays at the Western Wall ahead of his speech next week at the US Congress.
Photo Credit: Avi Ohayon/GPO

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu visited the Western Wall (Kotel) Saturday night, hours before flying to the United States for a speech to AIPAC and to a joint session of Congress.

Netanyahu said:

On the eve my trip to the US, I came here to the Western Wall. I would like to take this opportunity to say that I respect U.S. President Barack Obama.

I believe in the strength of the relationship between Israel and the US and in their strength to overcome differences of opinion, those that have been and those that will yet be.

As Prime Minister of Israel, it is my obligation to see to the security of Israel; therefore, we strongly oppose the agreement being formulated with Iran and the major powers, which could endanger our very existence. In the face of this danger we must unite and also explain the dangers stemming from this agreement, to Israel, to the region and to the world.

Netanyahu is scheduled to address Congress in Tuesday. As for now, approximately 20 Democrats will boycott the speech, which will be highly significant for relations with Obama and for the Knesset elections campaign.

Yitzchak Herzog and Tzipi Livni of the merged “Zionist Camp” party, with the help of Israeli adamantly anti-Netanyahu establishment media, have tried to make the housing crisis and the Netanyahu’s family lifestyle the major issues of the campaign.

They will have no choice other than to cover Netanyahu’s’ speech on the Iranian nuclear threat.