(THE HILL) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might be giving the most controversial speech to a joint session of Congress by an international leader, and Vice President Biden and a number of top Democrats won’t be attending.
Netanyahu is expected to criticize the White House’s negotiations on Iran's nuclear program in his March 3 speech. While Biden has cited a scheduling conflict, other Democrats are staying away from the speech to protest what they see as an attack on President Obama.
Congressional Democrats are angry that Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) invited Netanyahu to speak to Congress without first telling the White House. Obama has said he will not meet with Netanyahu during the visit, because it will come just two weeks before Israeli elections are set to take place.