Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to depart for the United States on Saturday night to attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, scheduled for Tuesday. The Prime Minister's Office is also seeking to coordinate a meeting with President Donald Trump next week, following the funeral, according to reports.
The Prime Minister's Office is now actively seeking to coordinate a meeting with President Donald Trump next week, following the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, according to reports. This adds a new layer of detail to the planned trip, which was first reported by The Zioneer on Sunday, July 12.
The Zioneer's coverage began on Sunday, July 12, at 12:02 Jerusalem, when it was first reported that Netanyahu's associates were examining the possibility of attending the funeral (version 1). Within hours, additional reports from N12 and Israel Hayom confirmed that Netanyahu would attend the funeral on Tuesday and that the PMO was working to arrange a meeting with Trump (versions 2-4). By midday, Reuters reported that the meeting was emerging as a confirmed element of the trip, with departure set for Saturday night (versions 8-9). However, earlier on Wednesday, Ynet reported that the meeting had not yet been set, and a separate report noted that the White House had not yet given final approval. The current update indicates that the PMO is now actively seeking to coordinate.
The trip to the funeral and the meeting request underscore the close ties between Netanyahu and the late senator, as well as the ongoing diplomatic relationship between the two administrations. The Zioneer previously reported on the context of US-Israel relations, including President Trump's order for flags at half-staff and the deep personal bond between Trump and Graham.
It remains unclear whether the White House has agreed to the meeting, as earlier reports indicated that approval was pending. The exact timing of the meeting within next week also has not been finalized.
10 developments
- DevelopingNetanyahu expected to depart for US next week for Trump meeting, PM's circle assesses
- StrongNetanyahu expected to fly to US on Saturday night, meeting with Trump not yet set
- DevelopingNetanyahu: 'In Israel there is mourning, in Iran there are celebrations' over Graham's death
- StrongNetanyahu: Lindsey Graham was 'a true friend and ally, the world lost an amazing person'
Source and signal
- Internal intake