John Boehner to visit Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel

House Speaker John Boehner plans to visit Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel next month.

Republicans have been highly critical of President Barack Obama over the deteriorating relationship with Israel.

John Boehner’s visit will take place in April, weeks after a clear election victory for Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.

During the campaign, Benjamin Netanyahu vowed not to allow the establishment of a Palestinian state, angering the White House.

Benjamin Netanyahu has since tempered those remarks, but the White House still warned there would be “consequences”.

Barack Obama called Benjamin Netanyahu on March 19 to congratulate him on his election victory, but warned him that the US was reassessing its approach to Israeli-Palestine peace in the wake of Netanyahu’s comments.

John Boehner’s visit will take place at some point during a two-week congressional recess that begins on March 30, according to his spokesman, Kevin Smith.

“He looks forward to visiting the country, discussing our shared priorities for peace and security in the region, and further strengthening the bond between the United States and Israel,” Kevin Smith said.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz said the visit would include several congressional Republicans.

Kevin Smith declined to comment on specifics of the trip.

In January, John Boehner invited Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress without notifying the White House.

Benjamin Netanyahu used the speech on March 3, two weeks before the Israeli elections, to criticize Barack Obama’s efforts to reach an agreement with Iran on its nuclear program.

Obama Administration officials and several Congressional Democrats criticized Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech, calling it a political ploy.

Many Democrats chose not to attend the speech, and Barack Obama refused to meet with Benjamin Netanyahu.

John Boehner last visited Israel in 2008.