The Prime Minister's Office stated Thursday that the memorial ceremony for Senator Lindsey Graham is expected to be postponed to the end of the month, resulting in the postponement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned trip to the United States next week. No new date for the trip was announced.
The Prime Minister's Office clarified Thursday that the postponement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned trip to the United States is due to the rescheduling of Senator Lindsey Graham's memorial ceremony to the end of the month. The official explanation, reported by N13/Army Radio and covered by The Zioneer, follows days of conflicting reports about the trip's status.
The initial report of the postponement, published on Sunday, July 12, at 12:02 Jerusalem, did not include a reason. Within minutes, at the same time, multiple reports linked the cancellation to the funeral delay. Earlier on Tuesday, July 14, at 22:36 Jerusalem, reports had indicated advanced contacts for the trip and a possible departure on Saturday night. On Sunday, July 12, at 12:02 Jerusalem, a White House official had denied a scheduled meeting between Netanyahu and President Trump. The thread shows a rapid evolution from unconfirmed reports to official confirmation of the postponement.
The Zioneer has reported on the doubts surrounding the meeting, including a White House official's denial on Saturday, July 4, and assessments from Israeli officials expressing skepticism about the trip's timing. The same assessments noted that Netanyahu's close associates believed he would travel to the US for a meeting with President Trump, but the official confirmation now points to the memorial ceremony delay as the reason for the postponement.
No new date for the trip has been announced, and the status of any potential meeting with President Trump remains uncertain. The ceremony's rescheduling to the end of the month leaves the diplomatic schedule open-ended.
27 developments
- StrongNetanyahu cancels US trip due to security escalation, will miss Graham's funeral Tuesday — Ynet
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- StrongAmit Segal reports Netanyahu expected to also attend Lindsey Graham's funeral
- DevelopingNetanyahu expected to depart for US next week for Trump meeting, PM's circle assesses
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