<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div>This is not yet reflected in The Hill's whip list of people not attending the speech, which of course bears no relationship whatsoever to any actions organized by the Irish Land League against the agent of an absentee landlord in Ireland in 1880.</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/house/232160-whip-list-dems-skipping-netanyahu-speech" target="_blank">http://thehill.com/homenews/house/232160-whip-list-dems-skipping-netanyahu-speech</a><br></div><br clear="all"><div><div><div dir="ltr">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br></div></div></div><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div class="gmail_quote">From: "Congressman Peter DeFazio" <<a href="mailto:or04ima@mail.house.gov" target="_blank">or04ima@mail.house.gov</a>><br>Date: Feb 13, 2015 1:33 PM<br>Subject: Reply from Congressman Peter DeFazio<br><br type="attribution"><div>
<p><img style="vertical-align:middle" alt="" src="http://smallbrewers.defazio.house.gov/US%20Congress.bmp"></p>
<p></p>
<p><font face=""Courier New"" style="font-size:10pt"><font style="font-size:10pt">Dear
Rabbi Harris:</font></font></p>
<p><font face="Courier" style="font-size:10pt"></font></p><div><font face="Courier" style="font-size:10pt">
<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 14pt"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>Thank
you
for
contacting
me
with
your
concerns
regarding
Israeli
Prime
Minister
Benjamin
Netanyahu's
invitation
to
address
Congress
at
a
joint
session.
We
are
in
complete
agreement
on
this
issue.
I
will
not
be
attending
this
address
to
Congress
on
March
3rd
and
I
also
signed
a
letter
led
by
my
colleague
Rep.
Keith
Ellison
requesting
that
Speaker
Boehner
postpone
this
invitation.</span><span>
<br></span><span>
<br></span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>Unfortunately,
this
speech
to
Congress
by
Mr.
Netanyahu
could
not
come
at
a
more
critical
time
in
the
Middle
East.
It
appears
that
Mr.
Netanyahu
will
use
this
opportunity
to
forestall
President
Obama's
efforts
to
conclude
very
difficult
negotiations
with
Iran
that
would
impose
strict
limits
in
developing
their
nuclear
weapons
capability.
I
have
been
very
supportive
of
the
President's
leadership
in
pursuing
a
diplomatic
solution
to
prevent
Iran
from
acquiring
nuclear
weapons
capability.</span><span>
<br></span><span>
<br></span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>Mr.
Netanyahu
will
no
doubt
urge
Congress
to
pass
legislation
that
imposes
more
restrictive
sanctions
on
Iran
and
override
a
Presidential
veto.
I
do
not
think
it
is
appropriate
at
this
time
for
Congress
to
consider
implementing
tighter
sanctions
in
the
midst
of
U.S.
led
negotiations
with
Iran.
Almost
all
sanctions
on
Iran
remain
in
place
and
if
they
violate
the
terms
of
the
interim
agreement
at
any
time
the
President
and
Congress
can
rescind
the
modest
sanctions
relief
put
in
place
during
the
talks.
The
Obama
administration
should
utilize
all
available
tools
of
diplomacy
to
resolve
the
crisis
over
Iran's
nuclear
program
and
to
prevent
another
costly
war
in
the
Middle
East.</span><span>
<br></span><span>
<br></span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>Lastly,
Mr.
Netanyahu's
appearance
before
Congress
was
not
coordinated
at
all
with
the
White
House
(a
break
from
diplomatic
protocol)
and
comes
two
weeks
before
an
election
in
Israel
in
which
he
is
a
candidate.
His
address
could
appear
as
if
the
U.S.
Congress
is
offering
him
symbolic
political
support
in
his
reelection
thereby
exerting
influence
on
a
foreign
country's
democratic
elections.
The
U.S.-Israel
relationship
is
far
too
important
for
this
type
of
blunder
which
is
why
I
joined
the
Ellison
letter
requesting
that
Speaker
Boehner
postpone
this
invitation
until
after
the
Israeli
elections
and
the
conclusion
of
the
U.S.
negotiations
with
Iran.</span><span>
<br></span><span>
<br></span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>Thanks
again
for
contacting
me.
You
can
be
sure
that
I
will
continue
to
support
sensible
foreign
policy
that
does
not
move
the
U.S.
closer
to
a
military
confrontation
with
Iran.</span></p></font></div><p></p><font face="courier new">
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>U.S.
REPRESENTATIVE
PETER
DeFAZIO<br>Fourth
Congressional
District,
Oregon</p>
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