Corruption, coalition crisis mar Netanyahu’s visit to US

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds up a piece of wreckage he claims is from an Iranian drone that was shot down by Israel on February 10, at the 54th Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Germany on 18 February, 2018 [Andreas Gerbert/Anadolu Agency]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did his best to use his visit to Washington to appear as a “winner”, but corruption allegations and the crisis in his ruling coalition spoiled his mission, monitors told the Anadolu Agency.

Netanyahu’s corruption scandal – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

On day one of his visit to Washington, Netanyahu met with the US President Donald Trump and held on Tuesday several meetings with senior Congressmen.

Iran was the main issue during the discussions with Trump and the other US officials and it was his main issue, too, in his speech to the AIPAC’s annual conference.

Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that he told the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, that the people of the US are the “great friend of Israel, which owes them much favour.”

Ryan responded: “In the name of the leadership of the Democrats and Republicans at the House of Representative, we welcome you as a prime minister. You are a big friend and ally.”

Netanyahu spoke about Iran and “the dangers” of the nuclear deal signed between Iran and the P5+1 countries in 2015, claiming it was a “mistake” and it “must be cancelled”.

Read: Trump-Netanyahu meeting is chance to project common front vs Iran

Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennet said that Netanyahu would be busy solving the crisis in his coalition as soon as he returned to Israel.

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