I was very disappointed after reading Francine Klagsbrun’s column attacking the joint address before Congress by the prime minister of Israel (“Golda Would Not Have Confronted The President,” Opinion, March 13).
Bibi Netanyahu was correct in addressing a joint session of Congress; remember, we have separation of powers in this country, and Congress as well as the Supreme Court function independently per their powers in the Constitution from the White House (the Executive branch). Therefore, Congress had the power to invite Bibi or whomever it chose, to address a joint session and did not need the approval of President Obama. Rather, the pressure that Obama orchestrated in preventing Bibi’s address to the Congress overstepped decency.
Ms. Klagsbrun conveniently forgot that Golda Meir did confront a superpower once in her career as a representative of the Jewish State. In 1949, Golda served as the Israeli ambassador to the Soviet Union. Against the wishes of the Soviet Dictator Stalin, Golda attended Rosh HaShanah services in Moscow and was mobbed by tens of thousands of Soviet Jews. Golda did this to send a statement to Stalin and the message was received.
