( CNN ) In Washington 's polarized political environment , support for Israel has been a rare area of bipartisan cooperation -- at least until now . Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's speech to Congress on Tuesday threatens to undermine the nearly 67-year tradition of bipartisan support that has endured since President Harry Truman became the first head of state to recognize Israel . Netanyahu is driven not only by his concerns about Iran 's nuclear threat -- the topic of his address -- but also by domestic political considerations . Israel will hold its national elections just two weeks after his visit to Washington . Netanyahu is fighting for his political life as he faces a tougher than expected re-election campaign . He has been widely blamed at home for having failed to lower the high cost of living , an issue that his rivals have eagerly exploited . Netanyahu has tried to offset some of this criticism by focusing on his perennial issue : Iran . A major televised address in Washington concerning Iran 's threat , interrupted only by standing ovations from American lawmakers , has the potential to be far more effective than any campaign ad in projecting gravitas , reinforcing his security credentials and reminding voters of his vast experience -- in contrast to his rivals ' inexperience -- in foreign affairs . Yet Netanyahu 's speech , while possibly giving him a short-term boost at home , will harm Jerusalem 's relations with Washington , not Iran 's nuclear program . Speaker John Boehner 's late-January invitation to Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress was coordinated with neither the White House nor the State Department . It was , in essence , a political ploy aimed at undermining President Obama as he strives to reach a historic deal over Iran 's nuclear program . In defiance of the Obama administration , and rejecting advice from leading figures in Israel and key supporters of Israel in the United States , Netanyahu accepted the invitation . By antagonizing the White House , Boehner and Netanyahu have put Democratic members of Congress in a bind , forcing them to choose between two unenviable options : either attend the speech out of respect for a close ally , but in so doing flout the president -- their party leader -- or demonstrate loyalty to Obama by snubbing the leader of a major U.S. ally . Two senior Senate Democrats with sterling pro-Israel credentials , Richard Durbin and Dianne Feinstein , tried to diffuse this latest crisis between Washington and Jerusalem by offering to meet with the Israeli premier behind closed doors but were rebuffed by Netanyahu . Feinstein had previously noted that an invitation to address Congress during the Israeli election period was `` highly inappropriate . '' In politicizing his visit to Washington , Netanyahu has allowed his bad blood with Obama to spill over into his government 's increasingly complicated relationship with the Democratic Party . Netanyahu no doubt believes that Obama is misguided about the pending deal with Iran . Indeed , there are good reasons to be skeptical of any agreement with a regime that has long engaged in deception and concealment with respect to its nuclear program . Less than two weeks ago , the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran was continuing to evade questions about evidence of past work on designing nuclear weapons . Yet Netanyahu 's move is counterproductive . Democrats on Capitol Hill who were inclined to support additional sanctions on Iran now feel compelled to back the president . In a rare move , five former Israeli ambassadors have publicly called on Netanyahu to cancel his speech . Former Mossad chief Meir Dagan has accused Netanyahu of having caused Israel `` heavy strategic damage on the Iranian issue '' by antagonizing the administration . Netanyahu 's foray into partisan politics is hardly a new phenomenon . He has never hid his preference for the Republican Party . During his first term in office , Netanyahu irked President Bill Clinton by meeting with the Rev . Jerry Falwell , then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich and other detractors of the President a day before coming to the White House . A key Netanyahu supporter is U.S. casino magnate Sheldon Adelson , a major Republican donor who also owns the pro-Netanyahu newspaper Israel Hayom . During the 2012 presidential campaign , Adelson poured millions into Republican challenger Mitt Romney 's coffers , saying he was willing to spend $ 100 million to defeat Obama . That July , Netanyahu 's senior adviser , Ron Dermer , helped orchestrate Romney 's visit to Israel in what amounted to an implicit endorsement of Obama 's rival . Dermer , a former U.S. citizen who once worked for Republican pollster and political consultant Frank Luntz , is Israel 's current ambassador to the United States . It is Dermer who coordinated the invitation to Netanyahu with Boehner but never mentioned the invitation to Secretary of State John Kerry when they met a day before Boehner 's announcement . This time , Netanyahu may have gone too far . National Security Adviser Susan Rice did not mince words when she called Netanyahu 's latest move `` destructive to the fabric of the relationship '' between the United States and Israel . Although the U.S.-Israel relationship is strong and resilient , rooted in common values and shared interests , Netanyahu is subjecting it to an unnecessary test with unknown consequences by choosing to play partisan politics .
Ziv : By injecting himself into U.S. politics , the Israeli prime minister puts at risk a 67-year relationship between millions countries . Netanyahu 's speech to Congress poses a problem for Democrats too , Ziv says .