The Prime Minister's Office announced Thursday that the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham has been postponed to the end of the month, and therefore Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not travel to the United States next week. No new date for the trip was set.
The Prime Minister's Office confirmed at 11:33 Jerusalem today (Thursday) that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not travel to the United States next week, as Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral has been postponed to the end of the month. This confirmation follows The Zioneer's earlier report at 11:28 Jerusalem that the funeral was being delayed. The trip was originally scheduled for next week, with a planned meeting with President Donald Trump and attendance at Graham's funeral.
The story began to unfold on Sunday, July 12, when The Zioneer reported initial plans for a three-day visit including a Trump meeting and Graham funeral. Within hours, the thread evolved: reports first indicated the trip was off, then an Israeli source attributed the cancellation to the funeral postponement, and by 12:02 Jerusalem the PMO had officially confirmed the postponement. The Zioneer's reporting on July 4 had already noted Israeli officials' doubts about the meeting, and on July 5, associates assessed a departure. The source quality progressed from speculation to official confirmation.
As The Zioneer reported on July 4, Israeli officials expressed doubt about the meeting taking place the following week. On July 5, reports indicated that Netanyahu's close associates assessed he would depart for the US. The trip was seen as a key diplomatic engagement.
No new date for the trip has been announced. The timing of the rescheduled visit depends on the new funeral date, which has not been set. Further updates are expected once the funeral is rescheduled.
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Source and signal
- Internal intake