Netanyahu Accepts John Boehner Invitation To Speak To Congress – White House Refuses Visit, State Dept. Ignores Visit…

Posted on January 22, 2015 by sundance

Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted Speaker John Boehner’s invitation. President Stompy Feet says he will not host a visit; John Kerry follow’s Stompy’s lead.



(Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday he would address the U.S. Congress in March, saying in a statement the invitation tendered by House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner was bipartisan.


Blindsiding the Obama administration, Boehner announced the invitation to Netanyahu on Wednesday, drawing White House complaints that protocol had been breached.


Netanyahu is expected to focus in his address, his third to Congress, on the Iranian nuclear issue. In his statement, Netanyahu said he was “honored to accept the invitation” and that would use the speech “to thank President Barack Obama, Congress and the American people for their support of Israel”. (read more)





Obama will not meet Israel's Netanyahu on U.S. visit

WASHINGTON Thu Jan 22, 2015 1:51pm EST



1 of 2. U.S. President Barack Obama meets with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington October 1, 2014.

Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque/Files

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama will not meet Benjamin Netanyahu when the Israeli prime minister visits Washington in March to address the U.S. Congress, the White House said on Thursday, a decision that could further escalate tensions between the leaders.

Bernadette Meehan, spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council, said the reason Obama was withholding an invitation for Oval Office talks with Netanyahu was to "avoid the appearance" of trying to influence Israeli elections later that month.

The U.S. decision was highly unusual because visiting leaders from Israel, a close U.S. ally, are almost always afforded talks with the American president.

Netanyahu announced earlier on Thursday that he would address Congress in a March visit likely to drive home differences with the Obama administration over Iran nuclear diplomacy. The White House had said the invitation, which was issued by Republican lawmakers without consulting Obama, was a breach of diplomatic protocol.

(Reporting By Matt Spetalnick)

Continue reading →