Lindsey Graham to meet with Netanyahu in Israel

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C), a likely 2016 presidential candidate, will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday in Jerusalem.

A statement released by his Senate office suggested Graham, who is expected to announce his White House bid next week, and Netanyahu will discuss Iran’s nuclear program and a pending deal to halt it.

{mosads}Envoys from the United States and five other world powers — the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, plus Germany — have a June 30 deadline to reach a final agreement with Tehran.

For months, Netanyahu has been one of the most vocal critics of President Obama’s efforts to strike an accord with Iran.

In March, Netanyahu delivered a fiery speech to Congress arguing that the nuclear compact would threaten Israel’s security. The speech enraged the White House, leading both sides to snipe at one another, in official capacities and even on social media.

Graham has voiced strong objections to the emerging nuclear deal with Iran and helped write legislation to allow Congress to weigh in on any final agreement. The president signed the bill into law last week.

Earlier this month Graham published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal that laid out eight principles that must be included in the talks in order to reach a “sound, enforceable deal.”

For instance, “Iran must not be allowed an enrichment capability greater than the practical needs to supply one commercial reactor,” he said.

Also on Tuesday, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), who just wrapped up a five-day visit to Israel, chided the administration for trying to reach a bargin with Tehran, charging that Obama “is making bad deals with a country that wishes to wipe Israel off the map.”