U.S. House Speaker to visit Israel amid tensions between allies

The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives John Boehner will travel to Israel during the next congressional recess that begins March 30, his spokesman said Friday.

"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," Boehner's spokesman Kevin Smith said in a statement, which is posted at the news website Politico.

Boehner's office said the Republican lawmaker's visit was planned long before he invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress, Politico reported.

The visit comes after Netanyahu addressed a joint session of U. S. Congress earlier this month at the invitation of Boehner, without consulting with the White House in advance, a move that the Obama administration said strained ties between the two countries.

According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Boehner's trip will begin March 31, and he will be leading a congressional delegation of Republican lawmakers.

Netanyahu made controversial comments about Arab-Israeli voters and rejected the establishment of a Palestinian state ahead of his contentious win in Israeli parliamentary elections this week.

The White House had said the U.S. is "deeply concerned" about the rhetoric that "undermines the values and democratic ideals" shared by the two countries.

In a telephone talk with Netanyahu, President Barack Obama reaffirmed U.S. commitment to a two-state solution in its pursuit of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Endite