Netanyahu meets with congressmen in Washington

(JTA) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and thanked them for their support in working to halt Iran’s nuclear program.

During the meeting Monday night, Netanyahu thanked the senators for approving sanctions against Iran, The Hill reported, citing senators in the meeting.

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Netanyahu gave “very detailed” answers about his views.

“Like all of us, I don’t think he wants the negotiations to go on forever,” Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told The Hill. “Obviously letting up on the sanctions is not something any us are interested in. And like all of us, he understands that if there is an agreement it needs to be a full agreement.”

The meeting was organized by the committee.

Earlier Monday evening, Netanyahu met with members of Congress at a farewell event for outgoing Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren.

Netanyahu told the congressmen that they must continue to apply pressure to Iran to end its alleged nuclear weapons program. He said that during his meeting earlier in the day with President Obama he thanked the president for the regime of harsh sanctions levied on Iran.

Netanyahu thanked the congressmen attending the event for their help in curbing Iran and noted that many of them had worked for many years bring Iran to the negotiating table.

The prime minister thanked Oren for his service and called him a “human bridge between Israel and the United States.”

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) also spoke at the event.