The Prime Minister's Office announced Friday that at President Trump's invitation, PM Netanyahu will depart for Washington on Monday, meet with Trump at the White House on Tuesday, and attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham. The PMO also said journalists will not be allowed to join the flight aboard the Wing of Zion plane.
The Prime Minister's Office confirmed Friday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Washington on Monday at President Donald Trump's invitation. The visit includes a White House meeting with Trump on Tuesday and attendance at the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime friend of Israel. The PMO stated that journalists will not be permitted to join the flight aboard the Wing of Zion aircraft, and that separate arrangements would be made for press coverage.
The announcement resolves weeks of uncertainty. As The Zioneer reported earlier Friday, the PMO's confirmation followed a series of conflicting reports. Earlier this month, on July 23, Ynet reported that Netanyahu had canceled the trip due to the security escalation, missing Graham's funeral. On July 16, the PMO said the funeral had been postponed to the end of the month, pushing the trip off. Prior to that, on July 21, reports indicated Netanyahu expressed interest in attending the Washington funeral, and on July 22, White House and PMO talks were underway but no date set.
The trip will now proceed as originally planned, with the funeral rescheduled to a date that allows the PM to attend. The White House meeting with Trump will be the first between the two leaders since Trump's inauguration. No further details about the agenda or duration of the visit have been released.
4 developments
- StrongNetanyahu reportedly expressed interest in attending Lindsey Graham's Washington funeral
- DevelopingPMO confirms Netanyahu's Washington visit Monday, Trump meeting, Graham funeral
- DevelopingNetanyahu: 'In Israel there is mourning, in Iran there are celebrations' over Graham's death
- StrongPM's Office confirms Netanyahu's US trip off as Graham's funeral delayed to end of month
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