By Anees Barghouthy
JERUSALEM
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday accepted an invitation to address the U.S. Congress in March, Netanyahu's office has said.
It added in a statement that the invitation was sent the Israeli premier by House Speaker John Boehner.
"He [Netanyahu] is expected to arrive in the U.S. in early March," the office said.
It added that the Israeli premier would also attend a conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) during his visit to the U.S.
Earlier in the day, Boehner wrote on Twitter that Netanyahu would address a joint meeting of Congress on March 3 in order to be able to attend the AIPAC conference in Washington.
On Wednesday, the White House said the invitation extended to Netanyahu to address Congress was a "breach of protocol."
Netanyahu is expected to dwell on the dangers posed to American security by Iran's nuclear ambitions and Islamic extremists.
He will deliver the speech two weeks only before his country holds early election on March 17.
Nevertheless, Netanyahu will not meet with U.S. President Barack Obama during his visit, according to U.S. National Security Council Spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan.
"As a matter of long-standing practice and principle, we do not see heads of state or candidates in close proximity to their elections, so as to avoid the appearance of influencing a democratic election in a foreign country," Meehan said.
