Republican U.S. Speaker John Boehner to visit Israel two weeks after Netanyahu’s victory

Trip was arranged before election but is likely to be a 'victory celebration' for Netanyahu and Obama's arch rival.

By Barak Ravid | Mar. 20, 2015 | 3:00 AM

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives John Boehner is expected to visit Israel in about a week. Boehner, a member of the Republican Party, is U.S. President Barack Obama’s arch rival and the man who invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make his controversial speech in Congress.

Senior Israeli officials who asked to remain anonymous said Boehner will begin his visit, which has not yet been announced publicly, on March 31, heading a delegation of Republican Congress members. The officials said the final agreement for the visit was given during Netanyahu’s trip to the United States some two weeks ago.

Boehner and Israel’s ambassador in Washington, Ron Dermer, had arranged Netanyahu’s speech in Congress behind the back of the White House. Boehner publicly admitted that he had explicitly asked Dermer not to tell the White House about the arrangements for Netanyahu’s invitation. A day before the invitation was reported, Secretary of State John Kerry visited Dermer at the latter’s home but Dermer didn’t mention the matter.

The American administration was furious that Netanyahu held talks with Boehner without the White House’s knowledge. The anger stemmed mainly from the fact that the speech to Congress, delivered two weeks before the Israeli election, was seen as a political move. It was also regarded as a bid on Netanyahu’s part to intervene in American politics, by sabotaging the nuclear agreement the administration is negotiating with Iran.

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