Politics

Meadows praises Netanyahu, rips Obama

U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows

By Bill Moss, Published: March 3, 2015

U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows on Tuesday praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his address to a joint session of Congress and took the opportunity to rip President Obama for "the shameful politicization" of the speech and what he called a naive foreign policy.

In an address that circumvented the White House, Netanyahu warned that Obama's negotiations with Iran was "a bad deal" that would "all but guarantee" nuclear arms for Iran. In a statement, Meadows, who serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, condemned Obama's approach to Iran.

"It was an honor to host the Israeli Prime Minister today in the House of Representatives. Despite the shameful politicization by the White House of this incredibly important address, the Prime Minister provided important insight as to why all peaceful nations, not just Israel and the United States, should be extremely concerned by Iran's nuclear pursuit. For months, President Obama has continued to cave to Iran, lifting numerous sanctions and weakening the terms of a potential nuclear agreement. Make no mistake, Iran is a rogue state run by extremists and is a designated State Sponsor of Terrorism by the U.S. State Department. Iranian officials have repeatedly called the United States the "Great Satan" and just last week brazenly flaunted the country's tests of new strategic weapons.' Allowing Iran to continue to pursue any nuclear ambitions would pose a direct threat to the United States, as well as to our ally Israel.

"This Administration has proven to be naïve when it comes to foreign policy. From calling ISIS a junior varsity' threat to underestimating Russian aggression, the White House has been 'leading' from behind when it comes to countering global threats. Any nuclear agreement brokered by this Administration would hinge on the belief that the extremist leaders in Iran will stick to their word and honor their obligations—a naïve position at best.

"I am deeply committed to supporting the nation of Israel, beginning with strongly opposing any nuclear agreement with Iran that does not completely eliminate Iran's breakout capability. Iran has continued to undermine international efforts to oversee its nuclear program and Iran's leaders consistently call for the total elimination of Israel. We must stand united in our support for Israel, which means setting politics aside and putting our security and Israel's security first."