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Postponed Washington trip
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu postponed a planned visit to the United States after the funeral of late US Senator Lindsey Graham was delayed, with the Prime Minister's Office saying on Thursday, July 16 that Netanyahu would not fly to the United States next week.
The CNBC TV18 report said Netanyahu had been expected to fly to the US on Saturday to attend the memorial service for Graham, a longtime supporter of Israel who died on July 12, and that no new date for Netanyahu's visit has been announced yet.
The Ynetnews report said Netanyahu had reserved the Wing of Zion aircraft for three days, with plans to arrive Sunday and return to Israel on Tuesday after attending Graham’s memorial service, but that the meeting with US President Donald Trump was also postponed.
In the Yaffa News Network account, a senior Israeli official said, "Once the funeral was postponed, the meeting was postponed as well," adding that Netanyahu would not travel to Washington twice in the same month.
Disputes behind the delay
Beyond the funeral timing, Ynetnews described disputes that made the visit uncomfortable for both Jerusalem and Washington, including Vice President JD Vance’s criticism of Israel in which he accused it of running influence operations in the United States and trying to shape American foreign policy.
Ynetnews also said Trump was angered by Netanyahu’s public opposition to supplying F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, and it described American officials as not enthusiastic about holding the meeting under the current circumstances.
In the Yaffa News Network account, tensions were linked to a sharp interview by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, which it said criticized Israel and accused it of conducting influence operations in the United States and attempting to affect American foreign policy.
The Yaffa News Network report further said, "The message was clear: Israel was trying to pressure Trump to return to war."
What’s at stake next
The Times of India report said the postponement comes as US-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon resumed in Rome on Tuesday, with American mediators meeting with Israeli and Lebanese delegations to discuss implementing a framework agreement announced several weeks ago.
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In that same account, the agreement described Israel withdrawing its forces from two "pilot zones" in southern Lebanon to allow the Lebanese military to deploy there, while it said the Israel Defense Forces has yet to redeploy from the designated areas.
The Yaffa News Network account said there were no behind-the-scenes agreements on the meeting’s agenda and potential outcomes, with a focus on Iran and the U.S. demand that Israel begin withdrawing from Syria and Lebanon amid Netanyahu’s firm opposition to withdrawing from security zones.
It also said internal discussions were taking place in Washington regarding the collapse of the memorandum of understanding with Iran and the course of the election campaign, while opponents of a return to war were not welcoming Netanyahu’s arrival in Washington at this time.
