CRI听力:U.S., Israel Disagree over Iran's Nuke Program, But Ties Strong: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made a new set of statements ahead of his controversial address to the US Congress later on this Tuesday.

He says while the US and Israel disagree about how to handle the Iranian nuclear situation, he contends ties between the two countries still remain strong.

"As the Prime Minister of Israel, I have a moral obligation to speak up in the face of these dangers while there is still time to avert them. For 2,000 years, my people, the Jewish people were stateless, defenseless. We were utterly powerless against our enemies who swore to destroy us. We suffered relentless persecution and horrific attacks. We could never speak in our own behalf and we could not defend ourselves. Well, no more. No more."

Netanyahu is due to address US lawmakers at the invitation of the Republican leadership.

This has been done without consultation with the White House.

In the fallout from this, Obama says he will not be meeting with Netanyahu during his time in Washington, saying his trip to the US capital comes too close to the Israeli elections, which are set to take place in a couple of weeks.

The Obama administration has blasted Netanyahu's plans to address Congress, saying it may be "destructive" to the fabric of US-Israeli ties.