A senior Israeli source says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to depart for the United States at the end of this week, possibly Saturday or Sunday, and is seeking a meeting with President Donald Trump. No official confirmation of a meeting has been issued.
The latest report from a senior Israeli source places Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's departure for the United States as early as this weekend, either Saturday or Sunday, with a meeting with President Donald Trump still unconfirmed by either side. This update narrows the timeline from earlier estimates that pointed to a departure early next week.
The thread of reports have evolved rapidly. On Sunday, July 12, The Zioneer published a series of dispatches: initial reports indicated a Saturday night departure to attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, with a Monday meeting with Trump still being arranged. Subsequent reports shifted to a Sunday departure, then to a departure early next week (Monday or Tuesday) with a return on Wednesday. The common thread was a meeting with Trump on Monday, though always without official confirmation. The current report aligns with the earlier end of the timeline, but includes Sunday as a possibility for the first time.
The backdrop to the trip, as The Zioneer has reported over the past weeks, includes high-stakes nuclear negotiations with Iran and Trump's stated intent to host both Netanyahu and the Lebanese president. Netanyahu has been seeking this meeting for weeks, and the trip was originally tied to the memorial for Senator Lindsey Graham.
What remains unconfirmed: the Prime Minister's Office and the White House have not issued an official statement on the meeting. The source's report is the first to suggest a possible Sunday departure, and no final itinerary has been released.
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Source and signal
- Internal intake