US Congress Invites Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Without Consulting White House

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is going to address U.S. Congress on Feb 11. House Speaker John Boehner has announced without consulting with the White House that he is inviting Mr Netanyahu to talk about the threat from Iran.

The decision to invite the Israeli PM to U.S. to address the Iran issue comes after U.S. President Barack Obama’s earlier threat of a veto if Congress passes a sanctions bill. Mr Obama was “uncharacteristically” candid about his warning against fellow Republican and Democrats who are in favour of sanctions.

The Israeli prime minister does not like the talk between Iran and the Obama administration and has expressed concern over it. Boehner’s decision to invite Mr Netanyahu is especially significant because he did not consult with the White House before taking the decision. He said that the Congress was capable of making its own decisions without consulting anyone.

When asked if this was a “deliberate poke” at Mr Obama. Boehner said he did not believe that it was a poke at anyone in the eye. "There is a serious threat that exists in the world and the president last night kind of papered over it," CNN quotes the House speaker, "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."

Boehner, on the other hand, refused to comment when the House would vote on another Iran sanctions bill even though he admitted that relevant committees were planning hearings on the issue.

Fox News reports that such invitations are generally coordinated with the White House and State Department. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest called the invite “a breach of typical protocol” because the White House was not involved in taking the decision.

However, he said that the administration would only comment further on the issue after speaking with the Israelis.Mr Obama earlier said during his State of the Union address that he would veto any legislation against Iran. Boehner, nevertheless, called Mr Netanyahu “a great friend” of the United States in his statement and said that the invitation carried with it the United States’ “unwavering commitment to the security and well-being of his people.”

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@IBTimes.com.au