Topeka ? U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins said she looks forward to a speech Tuesday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite the controversy swirling around his appearance and allegations that it violates long-standing protocol in Washington.

“This is the third occasion Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has addressed the United States Congress,” Jenkins said in an email Monday. “Given the ties between America and Israel, it’s no surprise that interest in attending the speech is high.”

Netanyahu was invited to address a joint session of Congress at the sole invitation of Republican House Speaker John Boehner, without consultation with the White House or State Department. He is expected to discuss Israeli security issues, including Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

His speech comes as the Obama administration is still engaged in high-level talks with Iran over that weapons program, talks which Republicans in Congress have criticized. Israel believes that the weapons program is a direct threat to the Jewish state’s security, and Netanyahu has been openly critical of the Obama administration’s efforts to broker a settlement.

As a result, his appearance threatens to place him squarely in the middle of a partisan battle over foreign policy within the United States. At the same time, some have argued that it also places Congress in the middle of Israeli partisan politics because Netanyahu faces his own opposition at home, where elections are set to take place March 17.

Forty-two Democrats in Congress have said they do not plan to attend the speech.

“Is this a stunt for his own political advantage?” asked Rabbi Moti Rieber of the Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation. “I don’t want Israel’s relationship with the United States to be used as advertising for his own election.”

Rieber said the upcoming speech has been a topic of active conversation throughout the Jewish community in the U.S. And while opinion within the Jewish community about the speech appears to be divided, he said he personally supports Obama’s efforts to negotiate a settlement of the nuclear issue.

“Netanyahu is more bellicose than I would like,” Rieber said. “I think Israel has a right to be concerned, but I also trust the negotiating process more than I would trust a military process to deal with the issue.”

Jenkins, however, said she thinks Obama is taking the wrong approach with Iran.

“Israel remains America’s foremost ally in the region, and the risk from Iran having a nuclear weapon is a threat not only to Israel, but to the United States and the rest of the world,” Jenkins said. “The Prime Minister can share a unique perspective on this issue and it is vital to hear from him and get his perspective.”

Netanyahu is scheduled to speak at 9:45 a.m. CST Tuesday.