Like President Barack Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry won’t meet with Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu when he comes to Washington, D.C., in March to address Congress at House Speaker John Boehner’s invitation.
According to Reuters, the State Department said that Kerry wouldn’t meet with Netanyahu because of the March 17 Israeli elections. Netanyahu will address Congress on Iran on March 3. The department also confirmed to TPM that Kerry and the prime minister would not meet.
The White House gave the same explanation earlier Wednesday for why Obama would not meet with Netanyahu.
Boehner’s invitation to Netanyahu, extended without consultation with the White House, has proven contentious. The White House has called it a breach of diplomatic protocol, and experts told TPM that it was an “unprecedented” rebuke of Obama.
Daniel Strauss contributed to this report.
