House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) will travel to Israel at the end of the month to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who just won re-election, according to reports from CNN and Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
Israeli officials told Haaretz that Boehner will lead a delegation of Republican congressmen on a trip to Israel on March 31. Boehner reportedly confirmed the trip when Netanyahu spoke before Congress two weeks ago, before the Prime Minister won re-election.
Haaretz described the trip as a “victory celebration” for Netanyahu.
Boehner’s trip to Israel will follow Netanyahu’s controversial speech before Congress, during which he warned the Congress against a “bad deal” with Iran. Boehner invited Netanyahu to deliver the speech without first notifying the White House.
Netanyahu is also at odds with the Obama administration over his comments on the establishment of a Palestinian state. Before his election, Netanyahu indicated that he had ruled out a two-state solution. But in a Thursday interview, the Prime Minister walked back those comments, and said he could support the establishment of a Palestinian state in different conditions.
