US President Barack Obama will not meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the Israeli leader’s visit in Washington in March.
The White House Spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said on Thursday, Al Jajeera reports.
According to Al Jajeera report, he said: "long-standing practice and principle," the president does not meet with heads of state or candidates in close proximity to their elections.
"Accordingly, the president will not be meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu because of the proximity to the Israeli election, which is just two weeks after his planned address to the US Congress," Meehan said.
Netanyahu is scheduled to speak to Congress on March 3 and will push for additional sanctions on Iran.
The invitation was a coordinated effort by House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, both Republicans. Boehner contacted the Israeli ambassador on January 8 to assess Netanyahu's interest and received a positive response.
The Republican leaders reached out to the Israelis without consulting with the White House or State Department, a move that appeared likely to deepen the White House's already tense relations with congressional Republicans as well as the Israeli leader.
Obama has been urging Republicans, as well as some members of his own party, to hold off on passing new Iran sanctions legislation while the US and international partners are in the midst of nuclear negotiations with the Islamic republic.
