Israeli PM invited to address US Congress on Iran by House Speaker

House Speaker John Boehner announced Wednesday he is inviting Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress on Feb. 11 on the Iranian threat. The announcement came after President Barack Obama in his State of Union speech said he would veto any new legislation for stepping up sanctions on Iran if negotiations failed to curtail its nuclear enrichment program.
This invitation is unusual – not least because it was not coordinated with the White House as it normallywould be.
DEBKAfile: This invitation was highly unusual – not least because it was not coordinated with the White House as it would usually be. It is therefore seen as a cutting assault on Presidential Obama’s personal prestige and the credibility of his pledge to avert a nuclear-armed Iran.
For Netanyahu, the House Speaker’s invitation comes in the throes of Israel’s election campaign and supports the prime minister’s case against his rivals, who accuse him of undermining relations with the United States and leading Israel into international isolation.