US President Donald Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Washington next week, with the two leaders expected to meet as the US-Israeli war on Iran enters its fifth month.
Trump made the announcement during a speech at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Friday, where he also made controversial remarks about Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
“I am going to send him a beautiful Palestinian outfit tomorrow, so he can greet Bibi Netanyahu when he comes to town next week,” Trump said.
Trump then referred to Schumer, who is Jewish, as having “turned Palestinian” and made a joke about Sharia law being the senator’s “new founding.”
Muslim and Jewish advocacy organisations have previously criticised Trump for referring to Schumer as Palestinian. Rights groups have said the president’s repeated use of the term is intended as an insult and has been used as a slur against the senior Democratic senator.
Netanyahu’s office said earlier that the Israeli prime minister would travel to Washington on Monday and meet Trump on Tuesday. He is also expected to attend the funeral of the late US Senator Lindsey Graham, according to the Israeli prime minister’s office.
The meeting will take place as the conflict involving Iran continues to dominate regional and international politics. The war between the US and Israel and Iran has now entered its fifth month, creating growing concerns over further regional escalation.
The discussions between Trump and Netanyahu are expected to focus on the conflict, security issues and the wider consequences of the continuing hostilities.
Netanyahu’s visit comes at a time when Washington and Jerusalem remain closely aligned on Iran, while the conflict has also raised concerns over the stability of the wider Middle East.
The meeting will provide the two leaders with an opportunity to discuss the next stage of the war and the broader security situation in the region.
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