“As of now, it is my intention to go, [but] it’s still my hope that the event will not take place,” Pelosi said.
US House Speaker John Boehner invited Netanyahu to speak to Congress about Iran’s nuclear program and the security threat jihadist terrorists pose. The visit, however, falls two weeks before Israel’s elections on March 17.
Pelosi stressed that Iran’s nuclear program is an issue for the US President Barack Obama to decide on, and added Netanyahu’s visit “should not be a political arena two weeks before an election.”
Pelosi said that staunch congressional Israel supporters had reached out to her alarmed that “our floor of the House would be used, exploited in that way for a political purpose in Israel and in the United States.”
President Obama and US State Department Secretary John Kerry said they would not meet with Netanyahu during his visit to avoid the appearance of influencing the Israeli elections.
Netanyahu’s address to Congress comes amid international efforts to reach an agreement with Iran over its nuclear program before a July deadline.
Congress is working on imposing tougher sanctions on Iran, which the Obama administration has said would undermine negotiations with Iran at a critical juncture. Obama also said he would veto any additional sanctions passed by Congress.
