Israeli PM Netanyahu: Speech to Congress 'not intended to show any disrespect' to Obama

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said the relationship between the United States and Israel was stronger than ever despite tensions over Washington's ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran.

"Reports of the demise of U.S.-Israeli relations are not just premature, they are wrong," Netanyahu said in an address to an American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference, adding that his looming speech to Congress is "not intended to show any disrespect" to President Obama. Last week, the Obama administration called Netanyahu's scheduled speech to Congress "destructive" to the relationship between the U.S. and Israel, and warned that it could scuttle the multilateral talks aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

In his remarks Monday, Netanyahu also said he was compelled to speak out against the nuclear talks because of his duty to protect Israel.

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"The days when the Jewish people are passive in the face of threats to annihilate us — those days are over," he said.