內塔尼亞胡將對美國親以組織發表演講

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due to speak at a pro-Israeli group's conference Monday in Washington, one day ahead of his address to the U.S. Congress that has caused friction with the White House.

Mr. Netanyahu spoke at the policy meeting for the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) last year, but this time will do so before going in front of Congress under circumstances that Secretary of State John Kerry described as "odd, if not unique."

Republican House Speaker John Boehner invited the Israeli leader to give his Tuesday address, breaking with historical protocol of coordinating with the White House.

Kerry has sought to downplay any rift, and is due to support Israel in an appearance Monday before the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, officials said.

"The prime minister of Israel is welcome to speak in the United States obviously, and we have a closer relationship with Israel right now in terms of security than in any time in history," Kerry told ABC television's This Week program on Sunday.以色列總理內塔尼亞胡星期一將於華盛頓在一個親以色列組織的會議上發表演講。星期二，他將在美國國會發表講話，此舉使他與白宮之間產生摩擦。

內塔尼亞胡去年曾在美國以色列公共事務委員會舉行的政策會議上發表演講，但是這次演講安排在他前往美國國會之前。美國國務卿克里稱這種情況“未必史無前例，但有些奇怪”。

美國國會衆議院議長貝納邀請內塔尼亞胡星期二在國會發表演講。他打破了以往的慣例，在發出邀請前沒有同白宮進行協調。

克里試圖淡化有關分歧。有關官員說，克里星期一將在聯合國人權委員會上表示對以色列的支持。

克里星期日在美國廣播公司的電視節目上說：“以色列總理在美國發表演講顯然是受歡迎的。我們目前在安全事務上與以色列的關係比以往任何時候都更加密切。”