Netanyahu Hopes For Poll Boost From US Speech

In the build-up to his controversial Congress appearance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quipped "never has so much been written about a speech that hasn't been given".

But if this was an attempt to feign coy surprise at the controversy the speech caused, it will have fooled almost nobody.

From the outset, his goal was to make waves, not ripples - and his audience was as much the Israeli electorate as the US Congress.

In two weeks, Israelis will vote in an election which polls increasingly suggest could be extremely close.

It is perhaps no coincidence the speech kicked off at 11am in the morning US time - an early start for a major Congress appearance, but just right for hitting peak-time viewing in Israel.

The broader references to biblical stories, the Holocaust, and declaring the Jewish people will "never again remain passive in the face of genocidal enemies" all went beyond the issue of a nuclear Iran, and were intended to resonate with Israelis looking for a strong, security-minded leader.

While preventing a nuclear Iran is without doubt Mr Netanyahu's defining political obsession, the issue is politically useful too.

Putting it front and centre on the global stage boosts it as an issue domestically, tilting the election debate in his favour.

None of Mr Netanyahu's main opponents dispute the claim that a nuclear Iran would pose an "existential threat" to Israel.

They dispute the wisdom in threatening Israel's relationship with the Obama administration.

They say damage has been done which may take years to repair.

But they don't dispute the fundamental message, or Mr Netanyahu's opposition to the rumoured terms of a P5+1 deal that would leave Iran's nuclear infrastructure suspended but not destroyed.

This explains the political calculation behind the speech.

On foreign policy, security and Iran, there is little separating the main Israeli parties - meaning Mr Netanyahu's tough reputation and experience could become attractive factors for undecided voters.

If the election focus instead turned towards social issues like employment, cost of living or house prices, the incumbent Prime Minister is on far more shaky ground.

Nonetheless, taking on Mr Obama is a political gamble.

Polls regularly show the vast majority of Israelis see the US-Israel relationship as crucial for the country's security.

Mr Netanyahu is hoping this will be seen as a personal spat with Mr Obama (a US President with far lower popularity ratings in Israel than his predecessors), rather than a diplomatic rift between Israel and the US.

By standing up to the administration, he hopes the electorate will see a leader prepared to defend Israel's interests, even when at odds with its closest ally.

This stand may be over Iran, but the implication is next time it could be over settlements; a deal with the Palestinians; or future conflicts with Hezbollah or Hamas.

"Even if Israel has to stand alone, Israel will stand" was his bullish conclusion to Congress - an assertion Mr Netanyahu hopes will not only chime with voters, but be seen as one only he could deliver.