"There isn't any daylight between the U.S. and Israel"
WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel made a direct appeal on Tuesday to Democrats still troubled by the public feud over the nuclear deal with Iran, appearing at a leading liberal think tank aligned with President Obama to declare that support for his country in the United States must remain a bipartisan proposition.
At an hourlong appearance before the group, the Center for American Progress, Mr. Netanyahu fielded questions and defended his policies in front of an audience of leading foreign policy experts, Democratic operatives and Jewish activists, projecting a benevolent tone even as he countered criticism of his approach to resolving the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
“I know that my visit here has been a source of some controversy, so I doubly appreciate the invitation,” he told Neera Tanden, the group’s president, who has been criticized by some progressive advocates for providing a forum for Mr. Netanyahu despite his bare-knuckled tactics in lobbying against the Iran deal.
“I came here,” he added, “because I think it’s vital to understand how important it is for me that Israel remain an issue of bipartisan consensus.”
“The relationship with the United States — all parts of the United States — and the American people is a strategic asset to our national security and our future,” the prime minister said, prompting applause from the roughly 200 people in attendance.
