WASHINGTON (JTA) – The White House and U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi said the proximity of Israel’s elections rendered inappropriate official events with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Pelosi (D-Calif.), the minority leader in the House of Representatives, forcefully denied that Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), the House speaker, had consulted with her prior to inviting Netanyahu to speak to a joint meeting of Congress. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the Senate minority leader, also said he was not consulted prior to the invitation but added that he looked forward to Netanyahu’s speech.

Pelosi said the timing of the March 3 address was inappropriate both because of the proximity of Israel’s March 17 elections and because Boehner cast it as a rebuttal to President Barack Obama’s Iran policy and his threatened veto of any new Iran sanctions. Pelosi echoed Obama’s view that new sanctions could scuttle talks with Iran on keeping it from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Bernadette Meehan, a spokeswoman for the White House’s National Security Council, also said the proximity of Israeli elections counted out a meeting between Obama and Netanyahu, who is also scheduled to address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee annual policy conference. Secretary of State John Kerry also will not meet with Netanyahu because of the proximity of elections, the department’s spokeswoman said. Jen Psaki added that she did not believe there would be meetings between Netanyahu and lower-lever officials either.