Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein Slams Netanyahu’s Arrogant Statements

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) provided a sign that Netanyahu’s speech to Congress has backfired as the normally hawkish senator called out the Israeli Prime Minister’s arrogant statements on CNN.

Video:

Transcript via CNN:

BASH: Let me just ask you one more question about the Israeli prime minister’s speech.

You are a Jewish-American. You are — and a Democratic senator, so you have a lot of different sort of personal constituencies, if you will. When Netanyahu says he’s coming to speak, he says he speaks for all Jews. Does he speak for you?

FEINSTEIN: No, he doesn’t speak for me on this. He doesn’t at all speak for me on this.

BASH: So, does that bother you when he says he speaks for all Jews?

FEINSTEIN: Yes. I think it’s a rather arrogant statement.

I think the Jewish community is like any other community. There are different points of view. So, I — I think that arrogance does not befit Israel, candidly. I think Israel is a nation that needs to be protected, that needs to stand free, that hopefully can work constructively with Palestinians to have a side-by-side state, and to put an end to the bitterness that has plagued this whole area.

BASH: Do you think, by speaking to Congress two weeks before his election, that is a sign of arrogance?

FEINSTEIN: Well, I think it is certainly a sign of a political move.

Now, whether this political move can be effective or not, I don’t know. But it’s not helpful. And it’s not helpful to attack our president. He is our president. And this brings the country together.

Boehner and the House Republicans have sabotaged their own plan to use Netanyahu to humiliate President Obama by dragging the Homeland Security funding crisis into another week. It is impossible to take Netanyahu’s congressional allies seriously when they are playing political games with the Department of Homeland Security.

The Homeland Security crisis is already overshadowing Netanyahu’s visit to the United States. Sen. Feinstein was correct. Netanyahu’s claim that he speaks for all Jews represents the height of arrogance. It was also a shameless political ploy to create the impression that anyone who doesn’t support Netanyahu’s speech hates Israel.

Netanyahu is only the Prime Minister of Israel. He does not speak for all Jews. He is just an elected official, who is trying pull a cheap political stunt in United States in order to win an election back home.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s visit isn’t going over like the conservatives thought it would. Instead of embarrassing the president, Netanyahu has become a back page story as the real headline is that Republicans continue to jeopardize U.S, national security by playing partisan games and risking a shutdown of Homeland Security.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association