Before Bibi Netanyahu addressed a rare joint session of Congress this morning, a historic plea not to further arouse the evil ayatollahs of Iran, who have promised to make Israel disappear, hardly any American commentators isolated the true reason for the phony, Democrat-ginned-up controversy.

Until David Brooks, sometimes-conservative essayist for The New York Times, nuked the nail on the head with uncommon clarity the other day.

At issue – the only topic – is whether Iran’s march to nuclear capacity will be interrupted as a result of six-nation talks headed by the United States.

We are asked to believe Iran, to coin a phrase, is going to confession and promises top wear white from now on.

Curiously and tellingly, Israel is not among the six parties cajoling for the last year and a half with the ayatollahs.

Isn’t it an obscene faux pas that   Israel is excluded from the talks even though Iran repeatedly has promised, for years, not just to defeat but to obliterate the state of Israel?

Can anyone imagine sitting down with, oh, say, Uncle Joe Stalin in the late 1940s and “negotiating” with him to stop making people disappear and inviting him to join the community of slightly more civilized nations?

Yet we are told that 36 years after the ayatollahs seized control of Iran, the old tyrants are going to tell President Obama’s reps: “Boys, what a fool we have been all these years, slaughtering crowds torturing survivors. Beginning March 31, we will start schlepping Girl Scout cookies fulltime. We want to be like you.”

One headline on Mr. Brooks’s incisive essay — “Will Iran truly switch teams? Betting on the ayatollahs” – captures the essence of Mr. Brooks’s message.

He is betting against renunciation.

Since Mr. Obama’s peace negotiators have failed in every initiative they have participated in, where is a speck of evidence that Iran will renounce despotism, its designs on Israel, apologize for its terrorist record and capitulate to Secretary of State John Kerry, who is 0-for-35 so far? But optimistic.

Credit Iran with making him a 36-time loser.