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 "Though I greatly appreciate your kind invitation to meet with
Democratic Senators, I believe that doing so at this time could
compound the misperception of partisanship regarding my upcoming
visit," Netanyahu wrote in a letter to Senators Richard Durbin and
Dianne Feinstein obtained by Reuters.
Durbin and Feinstein, two senior Senate Democrats, invited Netanyahu
to a closed-door meeting with Democratic senators in a letter on
Monday, warning that making U.S.-Israeli relations a partisan
political issue could have "lasting repercussions."
Republican congressional leaders broke diplomatic protocol by
consulting neither the White House nor Democrats in Congress before
inviting Netanyahu to address a joint meeting of the House of
Representatives and Senate.
 Netanyahu has faced criticism at home and abroad for his decision to
address the U.S. Congress two weeks before Israeli elections and at
a sensitive point in international negotiations on Iran's nuclear
program.
In his letter, Netanyahu said he agreed "wholeheartedly" that strong
ties between the United States and Israel have been built on
bipartisan support. "I also fully understand the importance of
bipartisan support for ensuring that our alliance remains strong in
the future," he wrote.
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He expressed appreciation for the opportunity to address lawmakers
from both parties on Tuesday and said he regretted that the
invitation has been perceived by some as partisan.
"I can assure you my sole intention in accepting it was to voice
Israel's grave concerns about a potential nuclear agreement with
Iran that could threaten the survival of my country," Netanyahu
wrote.
He said he would be glad to address a bipartisan meeting of senators
during a future visit to Washington.
Spokesmen for Durbin and Feinstein could not immediately be reached
for comment.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
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