Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's politicized speech before a joint session of Congress today appears to be going from a mere insult to President Barack Obama and his administration to
potential outright interference in this nation's foreign policy.
Washington (CNN)The Obama administration is bracing for Benjamin Netanyahu to spill secret details of Iran nuclear talks, as both camps traded last-minute political jabs ahead of the Israeli prime minister's controversial address to Congress Tuesday.
The White House is uncertain what precise details may come out but aides spent Monday frantically mobilizing after Israeli officials said that the prime minister planned to disclose sensitive details of an agreement taking shape in talks between six world powers and Iran, which has entered a delicate final stage.
Concern and anger among American officials about the nature of what Netanyahu might expose heightened already roiling tensions between the two countries. Secretary of State John Kerry cautioned about the damage such revelations might have on the negotiations and President Barack Obama himself attacked Netanyahu's judgment.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the potential release of this sensitive information "would betray the trust between our allies, and it certainly is inconsistent with the behavior of trusted allies." Meanwhile, Secretary of State John Kerry met Monday with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif in Switzerland. Kerry warned that the release of sensitive information by Netanyahu "would make it more difficult to reach the goal that Israel and others say they share in order to get a good deal."
President Obama is not meeting with Netanyahu on this visit, to avoid the appearance that a meeting would be an attempt by the White House to interfere in the upcoming general election in Israel, on March 17.
8:03 AM PT: The speech begins momentarily and is streaming on C-SPAN.