Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address Congress on March 3, but President Obama has no plans to meet with the leader.
House Speaker John Boehner made the announcement Thursday, that he has invited Netanyahu to speak to lawmakers about the threat from Iran.
It was reported that the decision to invite the Israeli Prime Minister was not cleared by the Obama administration and even caught President Obama off-guard because such invitations are usually cleared and coordinated within the White House and the State Department. Boehner stated, “Congress can make this decision on its own.”
When the subject was brought up, Obama stated that because of the country’s upcoming elections, he would be unable to attend. Spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan, says that it is a “long-standing practice and principle,” to not meet with heads of states so close to election times.
The meeting with Netanyahu and Congress is going to help relieve tension and rebuild sanctions amongst the nations. Netanyahu and the United States have been discussing nuclear capabilities, and Netanyahu has raised alarms and fears amongst the U.S. because of the matter.
Some feel that Boehner invited the Prime Minister because it was a symbol of rebellion against the President. Congress and both houses are heavily populated with Republicans, who hold majority office, and this could have been a way to go over the President who may have dismissed the idea of the invitation. While some feel that Boehner went behind the president’s back, and “poked him in the eye,” but Boehner told CNN, “I don’t believe I’m poking anyone in the eye. There is a serious threat that exists in the world and the president last night kind of papered over it.”
He then went on to tell CNN “the fact is there needs to be a more serious conversation in America about how serious the threat is — from radical Islamic jihadists and from the threat posed by Iran.”
Photo: Susan Walsh/AP
