WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before a joint meeting of Congress, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) released the following statement:

“Prime Minister Netanyahu made a strong statement to Congress – one that demonstrated our overarching strength as strategic partners despite occasional disagreements. The United States and Israel share the same goal: preventing Iran from attaining a nuclear weapons capability.

“I continue to believe that the ongoing negotiations, which are among the most important of our lifetime, are – at present – the best way to achieve that goal. I appreciate the Prime Minister’s concern, but we must keep in mind that no deal has yet been reached. And, while we must stand firm in our commitment to a nuclear weapons free Iran, we must also let diplomacy lead the way. If a deal is reached, we can then judge it on its merits and in its entirety.

“Lastly, largely absent from today’s remarks is that these discussions also involve our P5+1 partners, who have been negotiating alongside the United States from day one. It’s imperative that they remain full partners in these discussions because their cooperation is not only crucial to the end-result, but also to the sanctions that have driven Iran to the table in the first place.”

The P5-plus-1 countries are the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council: the United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom, and France – plus Germany.

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