Herzog: PM's Congress speech will cause 'strategic damage' to US ties
Zionist Union leader condemns Netanyahu's decision not to meet with Senate Democrats in Washington next week, says PM is 'playing politics inside American politics'.
Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to cancel his planned speech to Congress on March 3, saying it will cause "strategic damage" to Israel's ties with the United States.
"I call on Netanyahu again: Stop. Enough, Bibi, enough. You aren't going. Don't go. You will cause strategic damage to Israel's standing and to the relationship with the United States," Herzog said at a press conference, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.
Herzog also condemned Netanyahu's decision not to meet with Senate Democrats when he goes to Washington next week, saying the prime minister is "playing politics inside American politics." In turning down the offer, Netanyahu said such a meeting could "compound the misperception of partisanship" surrounding his visit.
The Israeli opposition leader is Netanyahu's main challenger in elections next month. On Thursday, he also condemned Netanyahu's decision not to meet with Senate Democrats when he goes to Washington next week, saying the prime minister is "playing politics."
Netanyahu has said he is determined to deliver the speech in order to press his case against an emerging international deal on Iran's nuclear program. The US and Israel have escalated their public spat over the speech.
Netanyahu accused world powers of rolling over to allow Tehran to develop nuclear weapons. Secretary of State John Kerry openly questioned Netanyahu's judgment on the issue and National Security Adviser Susan Rice called the speech "destructive" to US-Israel ties.
The Zionist Union leader also responded to State Comptroller Joseph Shapira's report on Israel's housing crisis at a joint press conference with his co-leader Tzipi Livni on Thursday, saying: "Only a prime minister can solve the housing crisis. I will undertake this challenge personally."
"Every time Netanyahu finds himself in a problem, he has a stock of excuses and scare tactics. The first on the list is Iran and Iran. For four years, only Iran. I don't know another prime minister who warned his people of existential threats on a daily basis. I don't know another prime minister who told the younger generation: 'You shouldn't be here.'"
Herzog pointed a finger of blame at the priorities of the Netanyahu government, which he said was responsible for aggravating the housing crisis. "Huge sums were invested in settlements," the Zionist Union leader said, adding that the press conference he was in at that very moment would not have taken place if the sums were allocated in a correct manner, with proper planning.
"The distorted distribution of public funds is unbelievable. There were prime ministers in the past that banged on the table in an attempt to solve problems. I don't know who the Construction Minister will be, but as prime minister, I will take care of this personally."
Herzog detailed some of his party's proposals, including government intervention in the housing market, as well as the provision of benefits to single mothers and other sectors in public housing. "The most important thing is affordable housing," he concluded. "When the country gives land for free, apartments are allocated to those whose income is up to NIS 15,000 and their rent does not exceed one third of its incomes."
The Zionist Camp co-chair also spoke at the press conference Thursday, saying "Israel needs a prime minister who cares about people" and also criticized the funds invested in territory beyond the Green Line: "The money spent outside of blocs was essentially tossed to the trash, while the rest of the citizens of Israel carefully collect shekel after shekel for rent, local property taxes, or save up for their children when they get older. We aren't just a sectoral party that cares for its voters. Our program is state-wide and takes care of the middle class, the Arabs and settlers."
On Wednesday, State Comptroller Yosef Shapira published a much-anticipated report on the housing crisis, in which he said that the housing prices soared while the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did little to address the problem.
Poor government planning and disregard for the middle class played key roles in creating the current severe housing crisis in Israel, which could have a devastating impact on the entire economy, he said. Shapira found a shortage of tens of thousands of apartments, while moves to combat the skyrocketing cost of renting and purchasing a home in Israel remained mostly on paper.
The 294-page indictment of government policy warns that the middle class could actually collapse, which would have a knock-on effect on the country's economy as a whole.
It paints a picture of long-term inefficiency leading to the sharp rise in housing prices that began in 2008, at the tail end of Ehud Olmert's term as prime minister, and continued all the way into 2014, Netanyahu's sixth consecutive year in office.
"The proportion of expenditure on rent for those in the middle deciles rose from 21% in 2008 to 26% in 2012 (an increase of 24% in housing prices), and this rate is approaching a threshold of 30%," the report stated. "This raises concerns that if this trend of rising house prices continues, and the upward trend in wages is relatively more moderate, more sectors of the population will be exposed to financial risk that could impair their ability to meet these expenses."
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