Boehner stands by Netanyahu

US House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner defended Benjamin Netanyahu's upcoming speech to Congress on Thursday, challenging an assertion by the Obama administration that Netanyahu's planned talk on Iran's nuclear program would be destructive to Israeli-American relations.

Referencing comments made by Susan Rice earlier in the week, Boehner said, "The president's national security adviser says it's destructive for the prime minister of Israel to address the United States Congress. I couldn't disagree more."

"What is destructive in my view is making a bad deal that paves the way for a nuclear Iran. That's destructive," the Republican lawmaker added.

Democrats to skip speech

Netanyahu was invited to speak by congressional Republicans, ruffling the Obama administration, with whom the Israeli PM is not on the best of terms. This will be his third speech before a joint session of Congress. The only other foreign leader to do so three times was Winston Churchill.

A number of Democrat lawmakers have said they will skip the speech, and US Secretary of State John Kerry openly questioned Netanyahu's judgment on the Iran nuclear talks. Some Democrats have argued that it is inappropriate for the prime minister to address Congress so close to Israeli elections, while others have bristled at the idea of a foreign leader lecturing themon US foreign affairs.

Boehner countered that it was important for the US public to hear about the "grave threats" facing Israel.

"The American people and both parties in Congress have always stood with Israel and nothing, and no one, could get in the way," Boehner said at his weekly news conference.

Netanyahu agreed on Thursday to meet privately with Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after he initially rejected overtures by Democrats to meet them privately, saying that would be displaying partisanship.

es/bk (AP, Reuters)