Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed in Washington late Sunday, ahead of his controversial speech to Congress where he is expected to warn against a possible nuclear deal with Iran.The United States and Israel showed signs of seeking to defuse tensions on Sunday but policy differences between the two allies over the negotiations with Iran remained firm, as Netanyahu arrived in the United States for his controversial speech, which has imperiled ties between the two allies.Israel fears that US President Barack Obama's Iran diplomacy, with an end-of-March deadline for a framework accord, will allow its arch foe to develop atomic weapons, something Tehran denies seeking.By accepting an invitation from the Republican Party to address Congress on Tuesday, the Israeli leader infuriated the Obama administration, which said it was not told of the speech before plans were made public in an apparent breach of protocol.A senior Israeli official told reporters on Netanyahu's flight that Congress could be "the last brake" for stopping a nuclear deal with Iran.Saying it was Israel's impression that members of Congress "do not necessarily know the details of the deal coming together, which we do not see as a good deal," the official said Netanyahu in his speech would give a detailed explanation of his objections to an Iran deal.US Secretary of State John Kerry reiterated Washington's determination to pursue negotiations with Iran, saying on Sunday the United States deserved "the benefit of the doubt" to see if a nuclear deal could be reached.Netanyahu will address the influential pro-Israel lobby AIPAC on Monday.
