While a careful reading of Netanyahu’s speech reveals a more nuanced approach than is commonly attributed to Israel’s prime minister, the cumulative costs and risks associated with Netanyahu’s gambit are considerable. A bold attempt by an Israeli prime minister to dissuade the Obama administration from making dangerous concessions in the nuclear negotiations with Iran is not unreasonable. However, doing this in a manner that needlessly broadened and deepened tensions with important parts of America’s political elite may prove irresponsible and reckless.

Shai Feldman is the Judith and Sidney Swartz Director of Brandeis University’s Crown Center for Middle East Studies and a Senior Fellow and Member of the Board of Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

Image: Flickr/John Boehner