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JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his upcoming speech before the U.S. Congress about Iran is not meant to butt heads with President Barack Obama but is focused on Israel's very survival.
Netanyahu's remarks Tuesday come amid broad criticism over the speech.
Netanyahu said: "I am going to the United States, not because I seek a confrontation with the President, but because I must fulfill my obligation to speak up on a matter that affects the very survival of my country."
Israel has criticized the talks with Tehran over its nuclear program, warning that a nuclear-armed Iran would be a threat to its very existence.
House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican invited Netanyahu in a move that angered Obama. Netanyahu's speech comes just ahead of Israel's March election.
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