Obama will not meet Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in March

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama will not meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the prime minister's visit to address Congress in March.

On Wednesday, Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, announced he invited Netanyahu to speak on "the threats posed by radical Islam and Iran."

The invitation surprised the White House, which regarded it as a breach of protocol.

"As a matter of long-standing practice and principle, we do not see heads of state or candidates in close proximity to their elections," White House spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said in a statement. "As to avoid the appearance of influencing a democratic election in a foreign country."

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, said the invitation wasn't "appropriate ... [or] helpful."

At his request, PM @Netanyahu of #Israel will now address joint mtg of Congress on March 3 so he can attend @AIPAC conference in DC.

— Speaker John Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner) January 22, 2015

Israel is holding elections on March 17, two weeks after Netanyahu is scheduled to speak to Congress.

The invitation came after President Obama's State of the Union Address, in which he urged a continuation of diplomacy. Obama said he would veto any new sanctions on Iran.