Israeli sources report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to depart for the United States on Saturday night, but a meeting with President Donald Trump has not yet been scheduled, according to a ynet report.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to depart for the United States on Saturday night, Israeli sources told ynet in a report published overnight Wednesday. The report adds that a meeting with President Donald Trump has not yet been scheduled. This development comes just hours after The Zioneer reported Tuesday evening at 22:36 Jerusalem that advanced contacts were underway for a Netanyahu visit to Washington next week, likely for a meeting with Trump.
The story has evolved over the past week. On Tuesday July 14 at 22:36 Jerusalem, The Zioneer first reported that advanced contacts were underway for a visit to Washington next week, based on multiple Israeli media outlets. Earlier, on July 5, Channel 14 reported that Netanyahu's close associates assessed he would depart in the coming week, as The Zioneer reported at 21:18 Jerusalem. On July 6, Netanyahu himself said in a Fox News interview that no date had been set for a meeting with Trump, reported by The Zioneer at 14:28 Jerusalem. The new ynet report provides a specific departure date but leaves the timing of a potential Trump meeting open, mirroring Netanyahu's own cautious framing.
The context of the potential visit is the ongoing US-Iran diplomatic process. As The Zioneer reported on June 14, Netanyahu has been pushing for an urgent meeting with Trump as the US-Iran deal nears signature. On June 10, a source in the Prime Minister's Office said Netanyahu and Trump were 'fully coordinated' amid US strikes on Iran, according to a Times of Israel report cited by The Zioneer. However, there have also been indications of doubt: on July 4, Israeli officials expressed doubt that a meeting would take place next week, as reported by The Zioneer.
The key unanswered question is whether a meeting with President Trump will be confirmed, and if so, when. The ynet report explicitly states that a meeting has not yet been set, and the Prime Minister's Office has not issued official confirmation of the trip. The departure date itself is described as an expectation, not a certainty.
3 developments
- DevelopingNetanyahu expected to depart for US next week for Trump meeting, PM's circle assesses
- DevelopingIsraeli officials doubt Trump-Netanyahu meeting will happen next week
- StrongReport: Netanyahu seeks meeting with Trump in Washington after Europe trip
- DevelopingNetanyahu reportedly examining possibility of attending Lindsey Graham's funeral, would meet Trump if visit proceeds
Source and signal
- Internal intake