Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced that he will travel to Washington next week for a meeting with President Donald Trump, according to Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh (N13/Army Radio). The meeting is conditional on security developments over the weekend. Netanyahu has been convening a security assessment with senior defense officials for hours.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced Friday evening that Netanyahu will meet President Donald Trump at the White House next week, but the meeting is now conditional on security developments over the weekend. The announcement came as Netanyahu has been holding a security assessment with senior defense officials for hours, according to Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh (N13/Army Radio).
The formal statement, issued at 17:21 Jerusalem, confirmed that Netanyahu will depart for Washington on Monday at Trump's invitation, meet with the president on Tuesday, and attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham. The Prime Minister's Office also said no journalists will be permitted on the Wing of Zion flight. The confirmation capped weeks of discussions between the two sides: The Zioneer reported on July 4 that the leaders had agreed to a White House meeting amid Iran nuclear tensions, and on July 5 that Netanyahu's close associates assessed he would depart in the coming week. On July 22, White House officials confirmed ongoing discussions but stressed no date had been set.
The meeting is set against the backdrop of the ongoing military campaign against Iran and its nuclear program. As The Zioneer reported, President Trump has repeatedly signaled a strong relationship with Netanyahu, saying on July 4 that Netanyahu 'knows who the boss is.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also expected in Washington next week, according to a separate report earlier Friday.
However, the conditionality of the meeting on security developments over the weekend leaves the trip uncertain. The security assessment, which began earlier Friday and continued into the evening, will determine whether the visit proceeds as planned. No further details on the nature of the security considerations have been released.
7 developments
- DevelopingNetanyahu expected to depart for US next week for Trump meeting, PM's circle assesses
- StrongNetanyahu expected to convene several limited security meetings amid Iran tensions
- StrongWhite House, PM's office discuss Trump-Netanyahu meeting next week — no date set
- DevelopingNetanyahu convenes security cabinet to discuss preserving Israeli operational freedom amid US-Iran deal talks
Source and signal
- Open-source intake