Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will fly to Washington DC on Saturday night to attend the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham and will also seek a meeting with President Trump, according to Israeli media.
Israeli officials told The Jerusalem Post that Netanyahu’s visit would be centered around Graham’s funeral since the late senator was a staunch supporter of Israel and the US-Israel relationship.
“Lindsey understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable. He devoted his life to defending America, strengthening our alliance and standing up for the free world,” Netanyahu said in a statement on Graham’s death.
The officials speaking to the Post said that Netanyahu will meet with President Trump, though the meeting hasn’t been scheduled yet and there’s been no confirmation from the White House.
Netanyahu’s last visit to the White House occurred on February 11, 17 days before the US and Israel launched the war against Iran. According to a report from The New York Times, Netanyahu provided Trump with an intelligence briefing at the time to sell the idea of attacking the Islamic Republic.
The report said Netanyahu made a series of predictions about the war that proved to be wrong, including the idea that Iran was ripe for regime change, that its ballistic missile program could be destroyed within weeks, and that it would be too weak to close the Strait of Hormuz.
Netanyahu has traveled to the US for meetings with Trump seven times since the US president was inaugurated for his second term. If Netanyahu does get his meeting this time, the discussions are expected to revolve around Iran and Israel’s continued wars and occupations in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza.
