National Jewish Democratic Council backs nuclear talks

The National Jewish Democratic Council reaffirms its support for the talks that Netanyahu maligned minutes earlier, but also thanks Netanyahu “for recognizing all that President Obama and his administration have done to ensure Israel’s safety and security.”

The organization recognizes in a statement issued shortly after Netanyahu’s speech that “while every member of the Democratic caucus faced a difficult decision regarding today’s address, we recognize that each one made the appropriate decision for themselves.” Some four dozen Democratic members did not attend the speech, including some Jewish representatives like Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN).

The Jewish Democratic organization reserved a blistering critique for House Speaker John Boehner, who they claimed “put members of Congress in this position by playing partisan politics with the US-Israel relationship.”

The statement pronounces the group’s opposition to the Nuclear Free Iran Act, a bill AIPAC grassroots lobbyists are pushing for Tuesday, and which is sponsored by prominent Democrat Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ).

— Rebecca Shimoni-Stoil