Benjamin Netanyahu

They called it a bad deal. He called it a good deal. And they all just called it a day.

Carter on Tuesday did avoid a public tongue-lashing by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli leader has called the Iran deal a monumental mistake and asserted that it severely weakens Israel's security, strengthens Iran and contradicts President Barack Obama's stated goal of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

On the other side, liberal groups ramped up the pressure, warning of political consequences for Democrats who undermine the agreement and casting opposition as a vote for war.

The lobbying fight is on over the pact that the U.S. and other world powers just signed with Iran.

Netanyahu's war of words came as his political rival, Isaac Herzog, announced he would go to the U.S. to lobby for a compensation package to insure Israel's military advantage in the region.

Herzog's trip reflects the broad opposition to the deal in Israel, where most politicians fear the deal will fail to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons while strengthening the Islamic Republic's support for Israel's staunchest enemies.

Benjamin Netanyahu has been a leading opponent of the deal since its contours were announced earlier this year and conciliatory statements by both the United States and Iranian leaders did nothing to change his sentiment.

Speaking to reporters in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said the agreement would lift painful economic sanctions against Iran — bringing in a much needed influx of funds — without stopping it from developing a capacity to prevent nuclear weapons.

"This deal meets every single one of the bottom lines that we established when we achieved a framework this spring. Every pathway to a nuclear weapon is cut off, and the inspection and transparency regime necessary to verify that objective will be put in place." —President Barack Obama.

Netanyahu's remarks came a day after Israel's stunning announcement that two men — Avraham Mengistu, an Israeli of Ethiopian descent, and a Bedouin from Israel's Arab minority whose identity is still under a gag order — are being held captive in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier Friday, the families complained to Israeli media over their treatment by government officials, saying their anguish is being ignored.

Netanyahu said Israel is doing everything it can to bring both men home. He met with the Mengistu family in the south of the country on Friday afternoon.

The announcement, made after months of secrecy, came after the Israeli military lifted a gag order Thursday on the two Israelis.

It raised memories of the case of Gilad Schalit, an Israeli soldier captured by Hamas in a cross-border raid and released five years later in a prisoner swap, as well as of the case of deadly kidnappings of three Israeli teens by Hamas militants in the West Bank last summer.