Netanyahu cancels trip to Washington next week

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has canceled his planned visit to the United States next week. His office said in a statement: “It appears that Senator Lindsey Graham’s funeral will be postponed until the end of the month.” It added, “Therefore, the prime minister will not travel to the United States next week.” On Wednesday, Israeli media outlets, including the official public broadcaster, reported that Netanyahu would depart for Washington on Saturday, meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, and attend Graham’s funeral on Tuesday. However, the U.S. website Axios reported on Wednesday evening, citing a senior White House official who wished to remain anonymous, that “as of now, there is no meeting between Trump and Netanyahu on the agenda for next week.” Despite the broad U.S. support for Israel, the two sides currently have differences, as Trump wants Israel to withdraw from Lebanon and Syria, a move Netanyahu refuses.